A dream is a series of thoughts, images or emotions occurring during sleep, and a method employed by humans to keep the mind from going insane. Dreams allow us to see things as they really are, not as they appear to be.
Visions are basically the same as dreams, except that dreams happen while a person is in a state of sleep and visions will happen while the person is fully awake.
God had a dream of what He wanted the heavens and the earth to look like. He then proceeded to create them according to that dream. They are over 125 references to dreams and dreamers in the Bible.
Dream in Hebrew means "to bind strongly or firmly." Dreams bound up in the heart and mind.
As we read the Scriptures we find that God was communicating something to the People in the environment of where the dreams were taking place.
In Genesis 20:3, the dreamer Abimelech received this message from God: "Indeed you are a dead man, the woman you have taken is another man's wife." God was letting Abimelech know that Sara was not available when Abraham lied to him about her being his sister. God sought to protect Abimelech. In Genesis 28:10-13, the dreamer Jacob received this message from God: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac." God was seeking to encourage Jacob about the future. In Genesis 31:24, the dreamer Laban received this message from God:"Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad."God was warning Laban that he was to treat Jacob with respect. In Genesis 37:5, Scripture does not specify that Joseph's dream were from God, but the evidence of what happened clearly vindicates God as the source of the dreams. In Genesis 41:1-13, God spoke to Pharaoh in dreams to tell of the 7 years of plenty and the 7 years of famine that were to come. In 1Kings 3:5, God was asking Solomon what it was that he wanted. God was testing Solomon's heart. In Matthew1:20, the dreamer Joseph received this message from God:"Take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel."God was protecting Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Dreams will bypass our experiences. The Book of Job 33:14-18 tells us:"For God may speak in one way or in another. Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword."God speaks to keep a man from being destroyed by his own pride and sin.
The Greek philosopher Plato was the first person outside the Bible to indicate that valid ways of obtaining knowledge was through the 5 senses, through reasoning of the mind and from the spirit realm. However some 50 years later Aristotle came along correcting this notion, stating that the only way to acquire knowledge was through the 5 senses. He ruled out that we might obtain knowledge through spiritual or supernatural means. This teaching has been carried down through the centuries, especially into the Western Cultures.
Our destinies are tied up in our dreams. As we look at the Biblical figures who Dreamed, they were all destined for something. Their Dreams revealed their destinies and, as they kept true to God and their Dreams, their Dreams and destinies were fulfilled in their own symbolic lives.
Trying to understand how this world function in our minds. Interrelation between physical and nonphysical entities.
Wednesday, 30 December 2015
Monday, 28 December 2015
A MARRIAGE OF SPIRIT AND BODY HOW IT WORKS.
When man was created, he walked with God in the cool of the day and yet he felt lonely. He could not use his sight or his touch to communicate with Him. The man could only feel God's presence. So everything he wanted was a companion, a complement that make him whole with God in everything.
Marriage symbolizes the union of the female principle (mind) with the male principle (spirit) to bring the transcendent God into the body (the two principles made one), and making God immanent and present, and the two again become one. This is the marriage of spirit and body. This is the end of a separate self.
Then God wanted to please man and made the woman from one of his ribs that He took out of man, formed the woman and brought her to him. And the man said,"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called wo-man, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:23.
God chose the rib, because they were designed to protect man's life. It protects the heart and lungs and supports him, as women are meant to do. The ribs are strong yet delicate and fragile. It provides protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being and his lungs hold the sacred breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to man's heart and lungs. The woman was created to support man as the rib cage supports his body.
She was not made from the dust of the ground as God had done for him.
When God formed the male and female animals, He formed them separately, but for the female woman it was different, she was taken from man, and formed as a part of the initial man, symbolizing the complement between one to the other in ruling the universe that God created for them. Man represented the image of God, and the woman represented the emotions. Together they were the totality of God.
While the man was in a divinely induced sleep, the creation of the woman took place in that reality to strengthen and powerfully help the man to subdue the universe already created for them. She was a complement and as an integral part of man, and a powerful and influential companion for him. The man had to lose a rib, but he gained so much more.
God accomplished the act in such a way that it showed woman as a complement to complete man in the integral union of marriage. Woman was created to be beside man, not beneath or above him. For that reason man has to treat his woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her you hurt yourself and God because you are the image of Him. What you do to her you do to God. In crushing her you only damage your own heart, the heart of your father, and the heart of her father. And women has to support man, in humility, show him the power of emotion, in gentleness. and quietness, show your strength, in love show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.
In God's kingdom there will be neither male or female, nor man and woman, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Marriage symbolizes the union of the female principle (mind) with the male principle (spirit) to bring the transcendent God into the body (the two principles made one), and making God immanent and present, and the two again become one. This is the marriage of spirit and body. This is the end of a separate self.
Then God wanted to please man and made the woman from one of his ribs that He took out of man, formed the woman and brought her to him. And the man said,"This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called wo-man, for she was taken out of man. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:23.
God chose the rib, because they were designed to protect man's life. It protects the heart and lungs and supports him, as women are meant to do. The ribs are strong yet delicate and fragile. It provides protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being and his lungs hold the sacred breath of life. The rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to man's heart and lungs. The woman was created to support man as the rib cage supports his body.
She was not made from the dust of the ground as God had done for him.
When God formed the male and female animals, He formed them separately, but for the female woman it was different, she was taken from man, and formed as a part of the initial man, symbolizing the complement between one to the other in ruling the universe that God created for them. Man represented the image of God, and the woman represented the emotions. Together they were the totality of God.
While the man was in a divinely induced sleep, the creation of the woman took place in that reality to strengthen and powerfully help the man to subdue the universe already created for them. She was a complement and as an integral part of man, and a powerful and influential companion for him. The man had to lose a rib, but he gained so much more.
God accomplished the act in such a way that it showed woman as a complement to complete man in the integral union of marriage. Woman was created to be beside man, not beneath or above him. For that reason man has to treat his woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her you hurt yourself and God because you are the image of Him. What you do to her you do to God. In crushing her you only damage your own heart, the heart of your father, and the heart of her father. And women has to support man, in humility, show him the power of emotion, in gentleness. and quietness, show your strength, in love show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.
In God's kingdom there will be neither male or female, nor man and woman, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.
PLANETS MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.
The recently defined discipline of Arch-aeo-astronomy has drawn attention in our time to how ancient people viewed the universe. Sky watching was so important to them that they left so many myths about the planets, the constellations, and the universe. For example, the ancient people of the New World built structures from Chile to Alaska as models of the universe in miniature. Their common beliefs was the three levels of the universe; the earth in the middle plus an upper and under world.
In the Scriptures in the Old Testament, the only planets expressly mentioned are Venus and Saturn.
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 earthly days. It is named after the Roman goddess of fleshly Love and Beauty. After the moon it is the brightest natural object we can see in the night sky. Its ability to reflect light is due to its close proximity to the sun and the highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid that shroud it. Many times it can easily be seen just before sunrise, hence its reference as the "morning star," The planet is considered a terrestrial planet and sometimes called Earth's sister planet, because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun and bulk composition. it is radically different from Earth in other respects. It has the densest atmosphere, consisting of more than 96%carbon dioxide. The atmospheric pressure is 92 times that of the Earth. The mean surface temperature is 462*C/863F. The planet is by far the hottest planet in the Solar System.
Saturn in the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius 9 times that of the Earth. Although only 1/8 the average density of Earth, with its large volume the planet is just over 95 times more massive. Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture. Saturn's interior is composed of a core of iron-nickel and rock. This core is surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, and intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium, and finally outside a gaseous outer layer. As the planet goes around the Sun, it periodically turn its rings edge-on to the Earth once every 14 to 15 years. Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. Electrical current within the metallic hydrogen layer give rise to Saturn's planetary magnetic field, that is weaker than Earth's, but has a torque 580 times that of the Earth due to Saturn's larger size. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach 1,800km/h (500m/s). The prominent ring system consists on 9 continuous main rings and 3 discontinuous arcs and that is composed mostly of ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. 62 moons are known to orbit Saturn. This does not include the hundreds of moonlets comprising the rings. Titan, the largest moon, and the 2nd largest in the Solar System, is larger than the planet Mercury, and the only moon in the Solar System to have a substantial atmosphere.
The names of Venus in the ancient times were: Venus, Aphrodite, Helil, Resheph, Ishtar, Inana.
The names of Saturn in the ancient times were: Saturn, Cronus, Kiyyun, Ashtaroth, Ea(Bel), Nanna.
In the Scriptures in the Old Testament, the only planets expressly mentioned are Venus and Saturn.
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 earthly days. It is named after the Roman goddess of fleshly Love and Beauty. After the moon it is the brightest natural object we can see in the night sky. Its ability to reflect light is due to its close proximity to the sun and the highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid that shroud it. Many times it can easily be seen just before sunrise, hence its reference as the "morning star," The planet is considered a terrestrial planet and sometimes called Earth's sister planet, because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun and bulk composition. it is radically different from Earth in other respects. It has the densest atmosphere, consisting of more than 96%carbon dioxide. The atmospheric pressure is 92 times that of the Earth. The mean surface temperature is 462*C/863F. The planet is by far the hottest planet in the Solar System.
Saturn in the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius 9 times that of the Earth. Although only 1/8 the average density of Earth, with its large volume the planet is just over 95 times more massive. Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture. Saturn's interior is composed of a core of iron-nickel and rock. This core is surrounded by a deep layer of metallic hydrogen, and intermediate layer of liquid hydrogen and liquid helium, and finally outside a gaseous outer layer. As the planet goes around the Sun, it periodically turn its rings edge-on to the Earth once every 14 to 15 years. Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere. Electrical current within the metallic hydrogen layer give rise to Saturn's planetary magnetic field, that is weaker than Earth's, but has a torque 580 times that of the Earth due to Saturn's larger size. Wind speeds on Saturn can reach 1,800km/h (500m/s). The prominent ring system consists on 9 continuous main rings and 3 discontinuous arcs and that is composed mostly of ice particles with a smaller amount of rocky debris and dust. 62 moons are known to orbit Saturn. This does not include the hundreds of moonlets comprising the rings. Titan, the largest moon, and the 2nd largest in the Solar System, is larger than the planet Mercury, and the only moon in the Solar System to have a substantial atmosphere.
The names of Venus in the ancient times were: Venus, Aphrodite, Helil, Resheph, Ishtar, Inana.
The names of Saturn in the ancient times were: Saturn, Cronus, Kiyyun, Ashtaroth, Ea(Bel), Nanna.
Sunday, 27 December 2015
ATTITUDE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SKILLS.
Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Philip.2:14-15).
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, thinh about these things. (Philip.4:8-9). Whatever you do, work heartily. (Coloss.3:23). Because a joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Prov.17:22). Have this in mind. (Philip.2:5).
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philip.2:3).
This was the guilt of (your sister) Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and the needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before God. So God removed them, when He saw it. (Ezek.16:49-50). The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth and said, "My lords, please turn aside to your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise up early and go on your way." They said," No; we will spend the night in the town square." But he pressed them strongly; so they turned aside to him and entered his house. And he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house. And they called Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them." (Gen.19:1-38).
Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, no drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1Cor.6:9-10).
The head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. (1Cor.11:1-34). Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I (God) do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet the woman will be saved through childbearing -if they continue in Faith and Love and Holiness, with self-control. (1Tim.2:11-15).
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body. (1Cor.6:18). Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Romans 12:2). For this reasons God gave (did not have a choice than) the people up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving themselves the due penalty for their own errors. And since the people did not see themselves fit to acknowledge God, God (had to) gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. Their minds act full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossipers, slanderers, haters of God, insolents, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient, ... . ((Romans1:26-2:1).
God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. (John3:16). The Lord appointed 72 others and sent them ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. He said to them, ...Go your way; behold, I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. (Luke10:1-42). But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near. It will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. (Luke10:10-13).
Let Love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Roman12:9). Arm yourself with the same way of thinking. (1Peter 4:1). Be of the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord and of one mind. Let each of you not only to his own interest, but also the interests of others. Have this in mind among yourselves. (Phil.2:1-11).
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal.3:28).
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body. (1Cor.6:18). Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Romans 12:2). For this reasons God gave (did not have a choice than) the people up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving themselves the due penalty for their own errors. And since the people did not see themselves fit to acknowledge God, God (had to) gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. Their minds act full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossipers, slanderers, haters of God, insolents, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient, ... . ((Romans1:26-2:1).
God did not send his Son to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. (John3:16). The Lord appointed 72 others and sent them ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. He said to them, ...Go your way; behold, I am sending you as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house. (Luke10:1-42). But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near. It will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. (Luke10:10-13).
Let Love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Roman12:9). Arm yourself with the same way of thinking. (1Peter 4:1). Be of the same mind, have the same love, be in full accord and of one mind. Let each of you not only to his own interest, but also the interests of others. Have this in mind among yourselves. (Phil.2:1-11).
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal.3:28).
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
THE FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES: WISDOM, JUSTICE, GOODNESS, AND LEADERSHIP.
WISDOM: "If any of you lacks Wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." "Because wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, impartial and sincere." "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from "her" is better than the gain from silver and "her" profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her." "Wisdom is with the aged and understanding in length of days." "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.""Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you." (Taken from the Scriptures).
JUSTICE : "How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!" "When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." "Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly." "Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression." "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven." "Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another." "Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked." "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understand and knows his God, that He is the God who practices steadfast Love, Justice, and Righteousness in the earth." (Taken from the Scriptures).
GOODNESS : "If goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life, surely, I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever." "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." "As we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone." "Devote yourselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions and quarrels, for they are unprofitable and worthless." "Make Love be your aim that is issued from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." "Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge." (Taken from the Scriptures).
LEADERSHIP : "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit." "Let Love be genuine. Love one another with brotherly affection. Be fervent in spirit. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer." "An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must mange his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" "Be trustworthy and hate bribe and place those with this virtues over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens." "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (Taken from the Scriptures).
JUSTICE : "How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!" "When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." "Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly." "Learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression." "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven." "Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another." "Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked." "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understand and knows his God, that He is the God who practices steadfast Love, Justice, and Righteousness in the earth." (Taken from the Scriptures).
GOODNESS : "If goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life, surely, I shall dwell in the House of the Lord forever." "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." "As we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone." "Devote yourselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions and quarrels, for they are unprofitable and worthless." "Make Love be your aim that is issued from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." "Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge." (Taken from the Scriptures).
LEADERSHIP : "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." "Do nothing from rivalry or conceit." "Let Love be genuine. Love one another with brotherly affection. Be fervent in spirit. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer." "An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must mange his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" "Be trustworthy and hate bribe and place those with this virtues over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens." "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (Taken from the Scriptures).
SHILOH, THE CHIEF SHRINE.
Shiloh was the chief spiritual site of the Northern shrine in the North-Central territory of Ephraim, near Bethel, where much of the pre-monarchy events took place. It is mentioned as the site of the arch, the Tent of Meeting, and the Altar. It was the early site of the War camp as well.
In pronounced a blessing upon Judah, the dying patriarch Jacob said: "The scepter will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him the obedience of the people will belong."
After the reign of Saul, Shiloh was superseded in importance by the city of Jerusalem, where David brought the ark. By this means David sought to bind the sacral traditions of the North to the South.
Beginning with the rule of the Judean David, power to command (the commander's staff) and regal sovereignty (the scepter) were the possessions of the tribe of Judah. This was to continue until the coming of Shiloh, indicating that the royal line of Judah would terminate in the spiritual Shiloh as the permanent heir. Similarly, before the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah, God indicated to the last Judean king Zedekiah, that ruler-ship would be given to one having the legal right. This would be spiritual Shiloh, as the name "Shiloh" is understood to signify "He Whose It Is," or "He To Whom It Belongs."
For the prophet Jeremiah, the demise of the fleshy sanctuary of Shiloh served as a warning to Jerusalem of the fate that was about to befall.
Eli, priest of the spiritual sanctuary of Shiloh before the emergence of the monarchy, wearing the ephod, pronouncing oracles, burning incense and supervising sacrifices is shown in a powerful characterization at the end of his service as an aged, heavy and blind leader sitting passively on his throne to await the report of the fate of Israel, symbolizing the monarchy itself -doomed and toppled from its place- because of the lack of Faith in the only God of hosts -The God Of Spiritual Israel- .
I the centuries that followed, Jesus Christ is the only descendant of David to whom kinship was promised. Before the birth of Jesus the angel Gabriel said to Mary: "God will give him the throne of David his father and he will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom."
In pronounced a blessing upon Judah, the dying patriarch Jacob said: "The scepter will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him the obedience of the people will belong."
After the reign of Saul, Shiloh was superseded in importance by the city of Jerusalem, where David brought the ark. By this means David sought to bind the sacral traditions of the North to the South.
Beginning with the rule of the Judean David, power to command (the commander's staff) and regal sovereignty (the scepter) were the possessions of the tribe of Judah. This was to continue until the coming of Shiloh, indicating that the royal line of Judah would terminate in the spiritual Shiloh as the permanent heir. Similarly, before the overthrow of the kingdom of Judah, God indicated to the last Judean king Zedekiah, that ruler-ship would be given to one having the legal right. This would be spiritual Shiloh, as the name "Shiloh" is understood to signify "He Whose It Is," or "He To Whom It Belongs."
For the prophet Jeremiah, the demise of the fleshy sanctuary of Shiloh served as a warning to Jerusalem of the fate that was about to befall.
Eli, priest of the spiritual sanctuary of Shiloh before the emergence of the monarchy, wearing the ephod, pronouncing oracles, burning incense and supervising sacrifices is shown in a powerful characterization at the end of his service as an aged, heavy and blind leader sitting passively on his throne to await the report of the fate of Israel, symbolizing the monarchy itself -doomed and toppled from its place- because of the lack of Faith in the only God of hosts -The God Of Spiritual Israel- .
I the centuries that followed, Jesus Christ is the only descendant of David to whom kinship was promised. Before the birth of Jesus the angel Gabriel said to Mary: "God will give him the throne of David his father and he will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end of his kingdom."
SAMUEL'S FAMILY AND ANCESTORS.
The name Samuel means "name of God." The story says: "There was a certain man of Ramatha'im-zo'phim of the hill country (mountainous region) of Ephraim, whose name was Elka'nah the son of Jero'ham, son of Eli'hu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an E'phraimite. He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Penin'nah. And Penin'nah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phin'ehas, were priests of the Lord."
Elka'nah was a resident of Ramah in Ephraim, hence he is called an Ephraimite, athough genealogically he was a descendant of the Levite Kohath (meaning "assembly"). Kohath was the second named of the three sons of Levi and father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uziel. Kohath was the progenitor of the Kohathites, one of the three main divisions of the Levites. He was born in the land of Canaan, and is listed among the 66 souls who came to Jacob into Egypt. Kohath's descendants included Moses, Aaron, Miriam and rebellious Korah. Kohath lived 133 years.
The name Hannah means "favor, graciousness." In spite of Hannah's long barrenness, contrasted with Peninnah's bearing several children, Hannah was still Elka'nah's more beloved wife. Peninnah taunted Hannah because of her barrenness, notably when Elka'nah took his family for their yearly appearance at the Tabernacle in Shiloh.
On one visit to Shiloh, Hannah vowed to God that, if she could bear a son, she would give him to God, for His service. Seeing her lips move as she prayed inaudibly, High priest Eli at first suspected that she was overindulged in wine and was drunk. But on learning of her sober Fervor and Sincerity, he expressed the wish that God would grant her petition. Indeed, she soon became pregnant. After giving birth to Samuel, she did not go to Shiloh again until Samuel was weaned. Then she presented him to God as she had promised, bringing an offering consisting of a 3-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a large jar of wine. The thoughts expressed in her song of thankfulness, when she and Elka'nah presented Samuel for temple services, are quite similar to the sentiments voiced by Mary shortly after learning she was to mother the Messiah.
Each year thereafter, when she came to Shiloh, Hannah brought along a new sleeveless coat for her son. Eli again blessed her, and God again opened her womb so that in time she gave birth to three sons and two daughters.
Elka'nah was a resident of Ramah in Ephraim, hence he is called an Ephraimite, athough genealogically he was a descendant of the Levite Kohath (meaning "assembly"). Kohath was the second named of the three sons of Levi and father of Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uziel. Kohath was the progenitor of the Kohathites, one of the three main divisions of the Levites. He was born in the land of Canaan, and is listed among the 66 souls who came to Jacob into Egypt. Kohath's descendants included Moses, Aaron, Miriam and rebellious Korah. Kohath lived 133 years.
The name Hannah means "favor, graciousness." In spite of Hannah's long barrenness, contrasted with Peninnah's bearing several children, Hannah was still Elka'nah's more beloved wife. Peninnah taunted Hannah because of her barrenness, notably when Elka'nah took his family for their yearly appearance at the Tabernacle in Shiloh.
On one visit to Shiloh, Hannah vowed to God that, if she could bear a son, she would give him to God, for His service. Seeing her lips move as she prayed inaudibly, High priest Eli at first suspected that she was overindulged in wine and was drunk. But on learning of her sober Fervor and Sincerity, he expressed the wish that God would grant her petition. Indeed, she soon became pregnant. After giving birth to Samuel, she did not go to Shiloh again until Samuel was weaned. Then she presented him to God as she had promised, bringing an offering consisting of a 3-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a large jar of wine. The thoughts expressed in her song of thankfulness, when she and Elka'nah presented Samuel for temple services, are quite similar to the sentiments voiced by Mary shortly after learning she was to mother the Messiah.
Each year thereafter, when she came to Shiloh, Hannah brought along a new sleeveless coat for her son. Eli again blessed her, and God again opened her womb so that in time she gave birth to three sons and two daughters.
Tuesday, 22 December 2015
LAZARUS, JESUS SPECIAL FRIEND.
Lazarus (God is help) is the subject of a miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death. This illustration helps to understand Jesus' divine authority over death. Lazarus is introduced as a follower of Jesus, who lives in the Town of Bethany near Jerusalem. Jesus had a deep love for this family. Lazarus is the brother of the sisters Mary and Martha. The sisters sent word to Jesus, who was at that time across the Jordan River, that their brother was sick. They entertained the hope that Jesus would cure him. Jesus, instead of going to Bethany immediately, or curing Lazarus by indirect means, He stayed where he was for two more days. Upon his arrival in the vicinity of Bethany, Lazarus had expired and had been dead for four days.
Jesus took the occasion to stress the resurrection. Upon arriving at the tomb, Christ ordered that the stone sealing its entrance be taken away. Then in prayer to his heavenly Father, Jesus showed that a purpose of the forthcoming miracle was "in order that they (the crowd present) might believe that you sent me forth." Jesus then called the dead Lazarus out of the tomb or cave, and he emerged.
The miracle moved many to put Faith in Jesus, but also caused the chief priests and Pharisees to plot his death, because many Jews were believing in Him.
In the Gospel of Luke, a symbolic figure appearing in the vivid account of the afterlife of the well-known parable "the rich man and Lazarus," is also named Lazarus. The parable tells about of the relationship, in life and in death, between an unnamed rich man dressed in purple and fine linen that lived in luxury every day and a poor beggar named Lazarus who was laid at his gate and was covered with sores that even the dogs came and licked them, longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with lazarus by his side. So he called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire." But Abraham replied,"Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you can't, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." He answered, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have 5 brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." Abraham replied: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." "No, father Abraham,"he said,"but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." He said to him, "if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
Both accounts are interrelated because it shows Lazarus as a symbolic figure of the spiritual friendship that Jesus has with his followers. Being a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, Jesus showed his divine power over death. On the other hand, Jesus' enemies dressed in purple and fine linen symbolize the false chief priests and the Pharisees that even seeing Lazarus alive, they plotted against Jesus and Lazarus to kill them. The Scripture does not show evidence to the effect that the plot against Lazarus was carried on. Instead Lazarus' resurrection served well as part of Jesus' ministry, both to illustrate the power of the Son of God and to increase the Faith in Him.
Jesus took the occasion to stress the resurrection. Upon arriving at the tomb, Christ ordered that the stone sealing its entrance be taken away. Then in prayer to his heavenly Father, Jesus showed that a purpose of the forthcoming miracle was "in order that they (the crowd present) might believe that you sent me forth." Jesus then called the dead Lazarus out of the tomb or cave, and he emerged.
The miracle moved many to put Faith in Jesus, but also caused the chief priests and Pharisees to plot his death, because many Jews were believing in Him.
In the Gospel of Luke, a symbolic figure appearing in the vivid account of the afterlife of the well-known parable "the rich man and Lazarus," is also named Lazarus. The parable tells about of the relationship, in life and in death, between an unnamed rich man dressed in purple and fine linen that lived in luxury every day and a poor beggar named Lazarus who was laid at his gate and was covered with sores that even the dogs came and licked them, longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with lazarus by his side. So he called to him, "Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire." But Abraham replied,"Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you can't, nor can anyone cross over from there to us." He answered, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have 5 brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." Abraham replied: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them." "No, father Abraham,"he said,"but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent." He said to him, "if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
Both accounts are interrelated because it shows Lazarus as a symbolic figure of the spiritual friendship that Jesus has with his followers. Being a High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, Jesus showed his divine power over death. On the other hand, Jesus' enemies dressed in purple and fine linen symbolize the false chief priests and the Pharisees that even seeing Lazarus alive, they plotted against Jesus and Lazarus to kill them. The Scripture does not show evidence to the effect that the plot against Lazarus was carried on. Instead Lazarus' resurrection served well as part of Jesus' ministry, both to illustrate the power of the Son of God and to increase the Faith in Him.
SAMUEL, A PROMINENT PROPHET AND JUDGE.
Samuel occupies a unique role in Israel's story. He is the representative and defender of an older tribal covenant order in Israel, yet he is God's prophetic agent for ushering in the new age of kingship. The leadership that Samuel gave to Israel in the critical period of transition from tribal existence under the period of the Judges to the establishment of Monarchy is accounted along the Books of Judges, Ruth, and First and Second Books which bear his name. He is the central character in all of the stories on Saul's elevation to the kinship.
The change in Israel's national life revolved mainly around 3 men: Samuel, the last of the great Judges; Saul, Israel's first king; and David, whose early adventures before coming to power are interwoven with the accounts of Samuel and Saul. In these stories Samuel was also the key figure in keeping Israel's identity and religious tradition alive during a period of defeat and occupation by the Philistines. In this time of confusion and dissolution it was necessary for Samuel to appear in multiple roles of authority (priest, prophet, judge, and military leader) that would normally not converge in a single individual.
The main theme of the Book, like that of other historical writings in the Old Testament, is that Faithfulness to God brings success, while Disobedience brings disaster.
Samuel's First Book also records mixed feelings about the establishment of the monarchy. The Lord Himself was regarded as the real King of Israel, but in response to the People's request the Lord chose a king for them. The elders of Israel came to Samuel and requested him to appoint for them a king to govern them, like the other nations. Samuel interpreted the petition as a personal rejection and was reluctant to comply. God told him that the People's request was a rejection of the divine kingship but that he had to comply with the request and provide for them a king after issuing a very severe warning on the dangers of kingship.
The very important fact is that both the king chosen by God together with the People of Israel had to live under the Sovereignty and Judgment of God. Only under God's Laws the Rights of all People, rich and poor alike, were to be maintained. Samuel made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal.
Samuel prophesied judgment against Saul in two stories describing Saul's rejection by God for failure to carry out God's word as made known by Samuel. Saul was condemned by Samuel for proceeding with sacrifices that Samuel was suppose to have made. The rejection takes the form of denying future dynasty to Samuel. Then Samuel again pronounced judgment on Saul for failing to carry out the full extermination of the Amalekites in a campaign declared by Samuel as God's holy war. This time Saul himself is rejected as God's king. Samuel, as God's prophet was able to withdraw divine authority from kings as well as bestow it.
Samuel grieved over the failure of Saul, and God called him from his grief to undertake the mission to anoint a new king. In Bethlehem Samuel wanted to anoint the first of Jesse's sons brought to him, but God told Samuel to look on the heart and not on the appearances. Al last Samuel anointed David, Jesse's eight son who was off tending sheep.
Samuel encountered Saul twice more. While Samuel was leading the group of prophets in his home at Ramah, Saul came searching for David and was seized up in the frenzy of their prophesying, stripped of his clothes, and lied naked before Samuel all day and night.
After Samuel died, Saul fearful over a coming battle with the Philistines, he went to a medium to call up the ghost of Samuel. Samuel reiterated God's rejection to Saul as king and predicted a Philistine victory in which Saul and his sons would die.
Samuel is traditionally credited with the writing-ship of the Bible Books of Judges, Ruth and part of the First Book of Samuel.
The change in Israel's national life revolved mainly around 3 men: Samuel, the last of the great Judges; Saul, Israel's first king; and David, whose early adventures before coming to power are interwoven with the accounts of Samuel and Saul. In these stories Samuel was also the key figure in keeping Israel's identity and religious tradition alive during a period of defeat and occupation by the Philistines. In this time of confusion and dissolution it was necessary for Samuel to appear in multiple roles of authority (priest, prophet, judge, and military leader) that would normally not converge in a single individual.
The main theme of the Book, like that of other historical writings in the Old Testament, is that Faithfulness to God brings success, while Disobedience brings disaster.
Samuel's First Book also records mixed feelings about the establishment of the monarchy. The Lord Himself was regarded as the real King of Israel, but in response to the People's request the Lord chose a king for them. The elders of Israel came to Samuel and requested him to appoint for them a king to govern them, like the other nations. Samuel interpreted the petition as a personal rejection and was reluctant to comply. God told him that the People's request was a rejection of the divine kingship but that he had to comply with the request and provide for them a king after issuing a very severe warning on the dangers of kingship.
The very important fact is that both the king chosen by God together with the People of Israel had to live under the Sovereignty and Judgment of God. Only under God's Laws the Rights of all People, rich and poor alike, were to be maintained. Samuel made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal.
Samuel prophesied judgment against Saul in two stories describing Saul's rejection by God for failure to carry out God's word as made known by Samuel. Saul was condemned by Samuel for proceeding with sacrifices that Samuel was suppose to have made. The rejection takes the form of denying future dynasty to Samuel. Then Samuel again pronounced judgment on Saul for failing to carry out the full extermination of the Amalekites in a campaign declared by Samuel as God's holy war. This time Saul himself is rejected as God's king. Samuel, as God's prophet was able to withdraw divine authority from kings as well as bestow it.
Samuel grieved over the failure of Saul, and God called him from his grief to undertake the mission to anoint a new king. In Bethlehem Samuel wanted to anoint the first of Jesse's sons brought to him, but God told Samuel to look on the heart and not on the appearances. Al last Samuel anointed David, Jesse's eight son who was off tending sheep.
Samuel encountered Saul twice more. While Samuel was leading the group of prophets in his home at Ramah, Saul came searching for David and was seized up in the frenzy of their prophesying, stripped of his clothes, and lied naked before Samuel all day and night.
After Samuel died, Saul fearful over a coming battle with the Philistines, he went to a medium to call up the ghost of Samuel. Samuel reiterated God's rejection to Saul as king and predicted a Philistine victory in which Saul and his sons would die.
Samuel is traditionally credited with the writing-ship of the Bible Books of Judges, Ruth and part of the First Book of Samuel.
Monday, 21 December 2015
WHO WAS ZECH-AR-IAH?
The name means "God remembers."The name is mentioned many times in the Scriptures. Evidently it is a plea for God to remember His covenant with Israel and extend Divine Aid.
Time 1, as the name of a King in the Northern Kingdom, the son of Jeroboam II. He reigned only 6 months before he was assassinated. With his death the dynasty of Jehu came to an end, a fulfillment of the prophecy that it would rule only for four generations. 2 Kings 14,15.
Time 2, as the father of Abijah, the mother of King He-zek-iah. 2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 9.
Time 3, as the head of a family of Reubenites. 1 Chronicles 5.
Time 4, as a wise and prominent levitical gatekeeper during the reign of David. 1 Chronicles 9; 26.
Time 5, as a Benjamite of Gibeon. His brother Ner was the father of Kish, the father of King Saul. At 1 Chron. 8, he is called Zecher without the ending.
Time 6, as a levitical musician who played the harp as the ark was brought into Jerusalem during the reign of David. 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.
Time 7, one of the priestly trumpeters who led the procession as the ark was brought into Jerusalem.
Time 8, as a levite and son of Isshiah, a contemporary of David. 1 Chronicle 24.
Time 9, as a levitical gatekeeper at the time of David, son of Hosah the Merarite. 1 Chronicles 26.
Time 10, as the father of Iddo, one of David's officers who ruled over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. 1 Chronicle 27.
Time 11, as an official of King Jehoshaphat assigned to teach the Book of the Law in the cities of Judah. 2 Chronicles 17.
Time 12, as a Levite and father of Jahaziel (2Chron.20), who prophesied that Jehoshaphat would be victorious over the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites.
Time 13, as son of Jehoshaphat slain by his brother Jehoram. 2 Chronicles 21.
Time 14, as a son of Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah publicly denounced Joash for his sin and was subsequently stoned to death by order of the king (2Chron,24). The murder was particularly heinous in light of the place that it occurred -the Temple Courtyard- and the kindness that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown to Joash. Because of this repulsive deed some of Joash's officials put the king to death. Jesus alluded to Zechariah's martyrdom when condemning the hypocritical religious leaders of his day. Matthew 23; Luke 11.
Time 15 as the Prophet to whom the Book of Zechariah is attributed (Zech.1). He was also a priest and a contemporary of the Prophet Haggai.
We can go on until we reach the name of the father of John the Baptist, a member of the priestly division of Abijah (Luke1). The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple and informed him that his wife Elizabeth would bear an extraordinary child. Because of his unbelief, Zechariah was unable to speak until after the child was born. On the day the child was named, Zechariah's voice returned. He then uttered a beautiful prophecy concerning spiritual Israel's messianic hope.
The Book of Zechariah is largely in the form of visions, dealing with the restoration of the spiritual city of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple, the purification of God's people and the messianic age to come.
Time 1, as the name of a King in the Northern Kingdom, the son of Jeroboam II. He reigned only 6 months before he was assassinated. With his death the dynasty of Jehu came to an end, a fulfillment of the prophecy that it would rule only for four generations. 2 Kings 14,15.
Time 2, as the father of Abijah, the mother of King He-zek-iah. 2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 9.
Time 3, as the head of a family of Reubenites. 1 Chronicles 5.
Time 4, as a wise and prominent levitical gatekeeper during the reign of David. 1 Chronicles 9; 26.
Time 5, as a Benjamite of Gibeon. His brother Ner was the father of Kish, the father of King Saul. At 1 Chron. 8, he is called Zecher without the ending.
Time 6, as a levitical musician who played the harp as the ark was brought into Jerusalem during the reign of David. 1 Chronicles 15 and 16.
Time 7, one of the priestly trumpeters who led the procession as the ark was brought into Jerusalem.
Time 8, as a levite and son of Isshiah, a contemporary of David. 1 Chronicle 24.
Time 9, as a levitical gatekeeper at the time of David, son of Hosah the Merarite. 1 Chronicles 26.
Time 10, as the father of Iddo, one of David's officers who ruled over the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead. 1 Chronicle 27.
Time 11, as an official of King Jehoshaphat assigned to teach the Book of the Law in the cities of Judah. 2 Chronicles 17.
Time 12, as a Levite and father of Jahaziel (2Chron.20), who prophesied that Jehoshaphat would be victorious over the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites.
Time 13, as son of Jehoshaphat slain by his brother Jehoram. 2 Chronicles 21.
Time 14, as a son of Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah publicly denounced Joash for his sin and was subsequently stoned to death by order of the king (2Chron,24). The murder was particularly heinous in light of the place that it occurred -the Temple Courtyard- and the kindness that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown to Joash. Because of this repulsive deed some of Joash's officials put the king to death. Jesus alluded to Zechariah's martyrdom when condemning the hypocritical religious leaders of his day. Matthew 23; Luke 11.
Time 15 as the Prophet to whom the Book of Zechariah is attributed (Zech.1). He was also a priest and a contemporary of the Prophet Haggai.
We can go on until we reach the name of the father of John the Baptist, a member of the priestly division of Abijah (Luke1). The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple and informed him that his wife Elizabeth would bear an extraordinary child. Because of his unbelief, Zechariah was unable to speak until after the child was born. On the day the child was named, Zechariah's voice returned. He then uttered a beautiful prophecy concerning spiritual Israel's messianic hope.
The Book of Zechariah is largely in the form of visions, dealing with the restoration of the spiritual city of Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple, the purification of God's people and the messianic age to come.
Thursday, 17 December 2015
BAPTISM, WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IN THE SPIRITUAL WORLD?
In Paul's Letter to the Romans, he wrote to explain to the believers there, his understanding of the Christian faith, and its practical implications for their lives as Christians.
All mankind needs to be put right with God, for all alike are under the power of sin. The only way is through faith in Jesus Christ. Then the believer is able to obtain peace with God and is set free by God's Spirit in the believer's life.
In illustration of this, Paul writes in chapter 6: "Surely you know, that so many of us, as we were baptized into Jesus Christ were also baptized into his death. By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life. ... Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies that you used to obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield any part of yourselves as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace. ... Don't you know, that to whom you yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But thanks be to God! For though at one time you were slaves to sin, but now you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered in you. Being then made free from sin, you became servants to righteousness unto holiness. ... For when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit do you had then in those things whereof now you are ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
This is a perfect and proper explanation that Paul gives us for the word "Baptize," meaning "to deep," "to be immerse," "to plunge." When one is immerse in something, it is temporarily "buried" out of sight and then lifted out.
Paul identified the true seed of Abraham as Christ, along with those who belong to Christ as "heirs with reference to a promise."(Gal. 3:16, 29). Paul also speaks of Abraham's kindness and hospitality to strangers, and in his long list of God's witnesses in Hebrews 11, he does not overlook Abraham.
Paul points out that Abraham's two women, Sarah and Hagar, were actually a symbolic expression of God's two covenants.
As a patriarchal head, Abraham allowed no idolatry or ungodliness in his household, but constantly taught to all his sons and servants to "keep God's way to do righteousness and judgment." Gen. 18:19.
DOES JESUS PRACTICES TELEPATHY AND TELEKINESIS?
Telepathy is the ability to read another's thought; and telekinesis is the ability to move an object with one's mind.
Genesis 6:5 says, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intend of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." There is anything mysterious in this, it is simply knowing each other by heart and well enough, and knowing their surroundings and situations well enough, to be able to make and accurate guess about their motives. Job exemplifies this situation well enough when he tells one of his comforters, "Behold, I know your thoughts, and the plans by which you would wrong me."(Job 21:27). Job knows his friend well, and he has sat through enough lectures to be able to figure it out from where his comforter is coming from. That is not telepathy. That is just paying attention to the very small details and deep observation.
The Bible makes it clear that witchcraft and sorcery are to be avoided at all costs. God made humans to interact in very specific ways with the purpose of foster community and glorify Him. That is the case of Moses when he faced the Pharaoh's magicians turned their staffs into snakes. (Exodus 7:12). It is possible for people to make strange things happen. We must examine what exactly is going on.
The mind of a human being is not able to move or create objects unless it is connected with the spiritual realm. So, every mysterious occurrence must be powered either by God or by the enemy of God. If God is glorified through the event, if He caused the event to occur to validate His prophet or His purpose, then we are sure that the event occurred through His power. If, however, the event was frivolous and had nothing to do with God's glory, then it comes through another source, that is through the power of the enemy of God. It was performed merely for convenience or self-indulged purposes.
A sincere believer voluntarily tries to disconnect him or herself from the fleshy pleasures of the world and ascend to a spiritual plane where he or she can discern Truth and Clarity about the teaching and meaning of the Word, because this is the only source that can benefit the believer and other people in many ways by sharing it. Always remember that the Word came directly from the mouth of God.
God's commands are always for our good, and he commands us to follow the Truth.
Genesis 6:5 says, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intend of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." There is anything mysterious in this, it is simply knowing each other by heart and well enough, and knowing their surroundings and situations well enough, to be able to make and accurate guess about their motives. Job exemplifies this situation well enough when he tells one of his comforters, "Behold, I know your thoughts, and the plans by which you would wrong me."(Job 21:27). Job knows his friend well, and he has sat through enough lectures to be able to figure it out from where his comforter is coming from. That is not telepathy. That is just paying attention to the very small details and deep observation.
The Bible makes it clear that witchcraft and sorcery are to be avoided at all costs. God made humans to interact in very specific ways with the purpose of foster community and glorify Him. That is the case of Moses when he faced the Pharaoh's magicians turned their staffs into snakes. (Exodus 7:12). It is possible for people to make strange things happen. We must examine what exactly is going on.
The mind of a human being is not able to move or create objects unless it is connected with the spiritual realm. So, every mysterious occurrence must be powered either by God or by the enemy of God. If God is glorified through the event, if He caused the event to occur to validate His prophet or His purpose, then we are sure that the event occurred through His power. If, however, the event was frivolous and had nothing to do with God's glory, then it comes through another source, that is through the power of the enemy of God. It was performed merely for convenience or self-indulged purposes.
A sincere believer voluntarily tries to disconnect him or herself from the fleshy pleasures of the world and ascend to a spiritual plane where he or she can discern Truth and Clarity about the teaching and meaning of the Word, because this is the only source that can benefit the believer and other people in many ways by sharing it. Always remember that the Word came directly from the mouth of God.
God's commands are always for our good, and he commands us to follow the Truth.
Sunday, 13 December 2015
IVORY AS A MEASURE OF THE EXCESSES OF THE WORLD
The creamy-white tusks of the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus and other animals. Though hard, and having a density about 3 1/2 times as great as seasoned cedar wood, it is highly elastic and is easily carved or tooled. The tusk of the African elephant was harder and preferred by ancient craftsmen. Herds of Asian (sometimes termed "Syrian") elephants were found in North West Mesopotamia and Syria until they were hunted to extinction ca 700. The lower teeth of hippopotamus were a rare source of ivory noted for its high quality and brilliance.
The ivory was used in a variety of ways beginning in the Chalcolithic period (4500 and 3500 BC) and continuing throughout the biblical period. Ivory was used for figurines, furniture, paneling, inlays, cosmetic boxes, spoons, game boards and game pieces, writing tablets, combs, and pins.
The ivory craftsmen utilized a variety of tools to carve, incise, saw, drill, and polish the raw material. They were mobile, moving to and from various centers known for the ivory trade.
Large caches of ivory have been found in Palestine (Meggido, Samaria), Syria, North Western Mesopotamia (Ugarit, Arslan Tash, Tell Tainat, and Zincirli), and Assyria (Nimrod, Nineveh, and Khorsabad).
Ivory appears frequently in Assyrian booty and tribute lists throughout the 9th and 8th centuries. Menahem included ivory as tribute to Tiglath-pileser III while Sennacherib received ivory from Hezekiah in 701. Assyrian kings utilized ivory in their palaces, but more often as decorative inlays for furniture, a fact richly confirmed by the wealth of ivory carvings recovered from Nineveh, Nimrod and Khorsabad. Assyrian kings stockpiled ivory as a much priced measure of status of wealth.
Ahab's "ivory house"(1Kings 22:39) at Samaria symbolized the corrupt luxury of a pagan court condemned by Amos (Amos 3:15). Amos' condemnation of "those who recline on beds of ivory." Amos viewed them as a symptom of the callous disregard on the part of Israel's privileged class for the social abuse perpetrated upon the poor.
The city of Tyre, in her great sea commerce, inlaid the prows of her boats with ivory. Ivory is also listed among the costly things of ancient Tyre's traders, as well as in the stock of the 'traveling merchants of the earth" who weep over the fall of Babylon the Great. (Ezekiel 27:6, 15; Rev. 18: 11, 12).
The ivory was used in a variety of ways beginning in the Chalcolithic period (4500 and 3500 BC) and continuing throughout the biblical period. Ivory was used for figurines, furniture, paneling, inlays, cosmetic boxes, spoons, game boards and game pieces, writing tablets, combs, and pins.
The ivory craftsmen utilized a variety of tools to carve, incise, saw, drill, and polish the raw material. They were mobile, moving to and from various centers known for the ivory trade.
Large caches of ivory have been found in Palestine (Meggido, Samaria), Syria, North Western Mesopotamia (Ugarit, Arslan Tash, Tell Tainat, and Zincirli), and Assyria (Nimrod, Nineveh, and Khorsabad).
Ivory appears frequently in Assyrian booty and tribute lists throughout the 9th and 8th centuries. Menahem included ivory as tribute to Tiglath-pileser III while Sennacherib received ivory from Hezekiah in 701. Assyrian kings utilized ivory in their palaces, but more often as decorative inlays for furniture, a fact richly confirmed by the wealth of ivory carvings recovered from Nineveh, Nimrod and Khorsabad. Assyrian kings stockpiled ivory as a much priced measure of status of wealth.
Ahab's "ivory house"(1Kings 22:39) at Samaria symbolized the corrupt luxury of a pagan court condemned by Amos (Amos 3:15). Amos' condemnation of "those who recline on beds of ivory." Amos viewed them as a symptom of the callous disregard on the part of Israel's privileged class for the social abuse perpetrated upon the poor.
The city of Tyre, in her great sea commerce, inlaid the prows of her boats with ivory. Ivory is also listed among the costly things of ancient Tyre's traders, as well as in the stock of the 'traveling merchants of the earth" who weep over the fall of Babylon the Great. (Ezekiel 27:6, 15; Rev. 18: 11, 12).
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
THE BEHAVIOR OF AN INSINCERE HEART.
When someone takes advantage of a very sincere heart he/she will say: "Let's return to our Master! He has hurt us (because of our behavior), but He will be sure to heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage our wounds, won't he?"
"In two or maybe three days He will revive (our power) us, and we will be able to live in His presence.
Let us try to know our Master better. For He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth."
But the Master says, "My dear ones, what am I going to do with you? Your Love for me disappears as quickly as morning mist; it is like dew, that vanishes early in the day."
"For that reason I have sent my messengers with My Message of Judgment and Destruction. What I want from you is plain and clear. I want your Constant Love, not your superficial sacrifices. I would rather have My People Know Me than have them bringing offerings to Me." Hosea 6
God says to the people of Judah, "And for you people of Judah, I have set a time to punish you for what you are doing. Whenever I want to heal my People Israel and make them prosperous again, all I can see is their Wickedness and the Evil they do." Hosea 6,7.
"The People of Israel is like a half-baked loaf of bread. They rely on the nations around them and do not realize that this reliance on foreigners has robbed them of their strength. Their days are numbered, but they don't even know it. Their arrogance cries out against them."
"They are doomed! They have left Me and rebelled against me. They will be destroyed. I wanted to save them, but their worship of Me was false. They have not prayed to Me sincerely, but instead they throw themselves down and wail as the heathen do. When they pray for grain and wine, they gash themselves like pagans. What rebels they are! Even though I was The One who brought them up and made them strong, they plotted against Me. They keep on turning away from Me to a god that is powerless. They are as unreliable as a crooked bow. Hosea 7.
"Sound the alarm! Enemies are swooping down on My Land like eagles! My People have broken The Covenant I made with them and have rebelled against My Teaching. Even though they call me their God and claim that they are My People and that they Know Me, they have rejected what is good."
"My People chose kings, but they did it on their own. They appointed leaders, but without my approval. They took their value in silver and gold and made idols -for their own destruction. I hate the gold Bull worshipped by the People of the City of Samaria. I am furious with them. An israelite craftsman made the idol, and it is not a god at all! The gold Bull will be smashed to pieces!"
"Stubborn as wild donkeys, the People of Israel go their own way. But now I am going to gather them together and punish them."
"The more altars the People of Israel build for removing sin, the more places they have for sinning! They have built palaces, but they have forgotten their Own Maker. Hosea 8
"In two or maybe three days He will revive (our power) us, and we will be able to live in His presence.
Let us try to know our Master better. For He will come to us as surely as the day dawns, as surely as the spring rains fall upon the earth."
But the Master says, "My dear ones, what am I going to do with you? Your Love for me disappears as quickly as morning mist; it is like dew, that vanishes early in the day."
"For that reason I have sent my messengers with My Message of Judgment and Destruction. What I want from you is plain and clear. I want your Constant Love, not your superficial sacrifices. I would rather have My People Know Me than have them bringing offerings to Me." Hosea 6
God says to the people of Judah, "And for you people of Judah, I have set a time to punish you for what you are doing. Whenever I want to heal my People Israel and make them prosperous again, all I can see is their Wickedness and the Evil they do." Hosea 6,7.
"The People of Israel is like a half-baked loaf of bread. They rely on the nations around them and do not realize that this reliance on foreigners has robbed them of their strength. Their days are numbered, but they don't even know it. Their arrogance cries out against them."
"They are doomed! They have left Me and rebelled against me. They will be destroyed. I wanted to save them, but their worship of Me was false. They have not prayed to Me sincerely, but instead they throw themselves down and wail as the heathen do. When they pray for grain and wine, they gash themselves like pagans. What rebels they are! Even though I was The One who brought them up and made them strong, they plotted against Me. They keep on turning away from Me to a god that is powerless. They are as unreliable as a crooked bow. Hosea 7.
"Sound the alarm! Enemies are swooping down on My Land like eagles! My People have broken The Covenant I made with them and have rebelled against My Teaching. Even though they call me their God and claim that they are My People and that they Know Me, they have rejected what is good."
"My People chose kings, but they did it on their own. They appointed leaders, but without my approval. They took their value in silver and gold and made idols -for their own destruction. I hate the gold Bull worshipped by the People of the City of Samaria. I am furious with them. An israelite craftsman made the idol, and it is not a god at all! The gold Bull will be smashed to pieces!"
"Stubborn as wild donkeys, the People of Israel go their own way. But now I am going to gather them together and punish them."
"The more altars the People of Israel build for removing sin, the more places they have for sinning! They have built palaces, but they have forgotten their Own Maker. Hosea 8
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
MARDUK, A POWERFUL ENTITY IN CONTROL Of THE WORLD.
Marduk (Akkadian: Amar Utu; "Bull Calf of the Sun God Utu") was a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and the chief deity in the Babylonian Pantheon during the 1st millennium BC. When Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates Valley in the Time of Ham-Mur-Abi (1800 BC) and capital city of the Babylonian Empire (from about 1500BC), Marduk slowly started to rise to the position of the Head of the Babylonian Pantheon, a position he fully acquired by the 2nd half of the 2nd millennium BC. He became so powerful and at that point he wanted to be called "Bell" which means "Lord." He resided in the Temple complex Es-Ag-ila, associated with the Temple-Tower, Et-Emen-Anki, that stands behind the narrative of the Towel of Babel in The Book of Genesis, chapter11.
Marduk is a name that changes in every confrontation of powers. It has so many variations in many different arrangements that make it difficult to identify the nature of it.
Marduk's journey and the visits he paid to the lands he agreed to visit is reflected in the prophecy text called The Marduk Prophecy that describes the travels of the Marduk idol from Babylon to the land of Hatti, the seizure of the statue during the sack of the city by Mursilis I, 1531BC, Assyria, and took the idol to Assur; and the journey to Elam, where the statue was pilfered around 1160 BC. The gods have followed Marduk and abandoned Babylon to famine and pestilence. After addressing an assembly of the gods, Marduk prophesied his return one more time to Babylon and wreak a terrible revenge on the Elamites.
Marduk's symbols were a spade and the snake-dragon (Mushhushshu). The planet Jupiter was associated with him by the Hammurabi period (1800BC).
Marduk was identified in the early 2nd millennium with the god Asa-Lluhi, who was the son of Enki/Ea and who was important in the cult of the Southern City Eridu.
Marduk name was invoked and called upon to fight an army of Demons led by the goddess Tiamat. He decided to go into the battle only because the other gods agreed to elect him as their leader making an oath and placing in him the total dominion of the world powers. He, then, kills Tiamat and crowned himself as the supreme god. The epic of creation, En-Uma-El-Ish, celebrates Marduk's elevation to the preeminent status in the pantheon, the other gods agreed to confer ultimate royal authority on him in the realm where all of them lived,following his defeat of Tiamat, the goddess of Salt Water and Chaos.
Now as a supreme god, during the reign of Nebu-chad-nez-zar I, an installed New Year Festival (Ak-Itu) was one of the most important religious celebration done in Babylon, in which En-Uma-El-Ish formed part of the libretto, and all the citizens were required, including its king, to kneel down before the statue of Marduk and a united vow was pronounced to reassure him the greatness of his position as a supreme god and ruler.
Marduk's association with the increasingly prominent city of Babylon goes back to Ham-mur-abi's dynasty in the Old babylonian period. After the time of Nebu-chad-nez-zar I, Marduk remained the chief deity of the Babylonian State and patron of its kings, including those of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty (626-539 BC). It is in this status that the people of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Israel, encountered Marduk.
During the Time of the Prophet Jeremiah lived during the latter part of the 7th century and the 1st. part of the 6th century BC, an oracle was pronounced, and God announced the capture and shamming of Babylon and Marduk. During Jeremiah's long teaching he warned God's people of the catastrophe that was to fall upon the nation of Israel because of their idolatry towards Marduk and sin. Jeremiah lived to see this prediction come true with The Fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian king, Nebu-chad-nez-zar, the Destruction of the City and the Temple, and the Exile to Babylonia of Judah's king and many of the people. Jeremiah also foretold the Return of The People from The Exile and The Restoration of the Spiritual nation of Israel.
Marduk is a name that changes in every confrontation of powers. It has so many variations in many different arrangements that make it difficult to identify the nature of it.
Marduk's journey and the visits he paid to the lands he agreed to visit is reflected in the prophecy text called The Marduk Prophecy that describes the travels of the Marduk idol from Babylon to the land of Hatti, the seizure of the statue during the sack of the city by Mursilis I, 1531BC, Assyria, and took the idol to Assur; and the journey to Elam, where the statue was pilfered around 1160 BC. The gods have followed Marduk and abandoned Babylon to famine and pestilence. After addressing an assembly of the gods, Marduk prophesied his return one more time to Babylon and wreak a terrible revenge on the Elamites.
Marduk's symbols were a spade and the snake-dragon (Mushhushshu). The planet Jupiter was associated with him by the Hammurabi period (1800BC).
Marduk was identified in the early 2nd millennium with the god Asa-Lluhi, who was the son of Enki/Ea and who was important in the cult of the Southern City Eridu.
Marduk name was invoked and called upon to fight an army of Demons led by the goddess Tiamat. He decided to go into the battle only because the other gods agreed to elect him as their leader making an oath and placing in him the total dominion of the world powers. He, then, kills Tiamat and crowned himself as the supreme god. The epic of creation, En-Uma-El-Ish, celebrates Marduk's elevation to the preeminent status in the pantheon, the other gods agreed to confer ultimate royal authority on him in the realm where all of them lived,following his defeat of Tiamat, the goddess of Salt Water and Chaos.
Now as a supreme god, during the reign of Nebu-chad-nez-zar I, an installed New Year Festival (Ak-Itu) was one of the most important religious celebration done in Babylon, in which En-Uma-El-Ish formed part of the libretto, and all the citizens were required, including its king, to kneel down before the statue of Marduk and a united vow was pronounced to reassure him the greatness of his position as a supreme god and ruler.
Marduk's association with the increasingly prominent city of Babylon goes back to Ham-mur-abi's dynasty in the Old babylonian period. After the time of Nebu-chad-nez-zar I, Marduk remained the chief deity of the Babylonian State and patron of its kings, including those of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty (626-539 BC). It is in this status that the people of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Israel, encountered Marduk.
During the Time of the Prophet Jeremiah lived during the latter part of the 7th century and the 1st. part of the 6th century BC, an oracle was pronounced, and God announced the capture and shamming of Babylon and Marduk. During Jeremiah's long teaching he warned God's people of the catastrophe that was to fall upon the nation of Israel because of their idolatry towards Marduk and sin. Jeremiah lived to see this prediction come true with The Fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonian king, Nebu-chad-nez-zar, the Destruction of the City and the Temple, and the Exile to Babylonia of Judah's king and many of the people. Jeremiah also foretold the Return of The People from The Exile and The Restoration of the Spiritual nation of Israel.
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
NEBO, WHAT KIND OF ENTITY HE WAS ?
NEBO (Hebrew: Nebu, Akkadian: Nabu) is one of the two principal entities of the Babylonian pantheon. The name is found as early as the 2nd millennium BC, but Nebo worship as a powerful entity of Darkness governing the World powers began its ascendancy 925 BC and was at its peak in Babylon by the 7th century, roughly the time of Isaiah.
As son of Marduk, Nebo was considered to be the keeper of the Tablets of the Gods governing the power of the flesh, and thus a scribe. As such he had access to secrets that others were not able to interpreted, granting him wisdom, and so he could control religious rites of any sort. He wrote down the decisions of the Gods and kept accounts of human dealings, especially on his Tablet of Life and Tablet of Destiny.
The Exodus narrative in the Scriptures refers to the most important even in the history of spiritual Israel. The word itself means "Departure" symbolizing the departure of the spiritual people of Israel from Egypt (flesh bond), where they had been slaves. Above all, this narrative describes what God did, as he liberated them from the World powers which enslaved his people and formed them into a nation with hope for the future. The central human figure (with supernatural powers) in the narrative is Moses, the man whom God chose to lead his people from Egypt. The freeing of the Hebrews from slavery, their journey to Mount Sinai, God's covenant with his people at Sinai, which gave them moral, civil, and religious laws to live by to avoid punishment from the laws of the World, and the building and furnishing of a place in their hearts to worship God, and the laws regarding the priests and the worship to God, are pretty much very clear along the narrative.
In the Book of Isaiah, a prophet who lived in Jerusalem in the latter half of the 8th century BC, shows the time when Judah, the Southern Kingdom of the nation that God formed, was threatened by a powerful spiritual neighbor, Assyria. Isaiah shows in his narrative that the real threat to the spiritual life of Judah was not simply the spiritual might of Assyria coming from the realm of the World, but the nation's own sin and disobedience toward God and their luck of trust in Him and His Laws. Many went into exile in Babylon because their strength was weakened by their spiritual pollution and lack of trust to God, being vulnerable they were crushed by the Babylonians and left without hope. Isaiah proclaimed to the ones still loyal to the spiritual nation of Israel that God would set them free and take them home to the Spiritual Jerusalem to begin a New Life Order. He also stated that God is the Lord of history, and His Plan for His People includes all the nations of the World, who will be blessed through spiritual Israel. Isaiah addressed to people who needed reassurance that God was going to fulfill His Promises to His Nation. Concern is expressed for Righteousness and Justice, and also for Scripture observances, sacrifice, and prayer.
Isaiah addressed Nebo and the Gods of the World in chapter 41 saying, "Keep silence before Me, O, Islands (World Powers); and let the people renew their strength: Let them come near; then Let them speak: Let us come near together to Judgment." 41:1
"The Lord, the King of Israel, has this to say: 'You gods of the nations, present your case. Bring the best arguments you have! Come here and predict what will happen, so that we will know it when it takes place. Explain to the Court the events of the past, and tell us what they mean.' " 41: 21-22
"Tell us what the future holds, then we will know that you are gods!" 41: 23
"You and all you do are nothing; those who worship you are disgusting! " 41: 24
"When I looked among the gods, none of them had a thing to say; not one could answer the questions I asked. All these gods are useless; they can do nothing at all, these idols are weak and powerless."41:29
"I have chosen a man who lives in the East; I will bring him to attack from the North. He tramples on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter trampling clay. Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing! 42: 25 - 26.
As son of Marduk, Nebo was considered to be the keeper of the Tablets of the Gods governing the power of the flesh, and thus a scribe. As such he had access to secrets that others were not able to interpreted, granting him wisdom, and so he could control religious rites of any sort. He wrote down the decisions of the Gods and kept accounts of human dealings, especially on his Tablet of Life and Tablet of Destiny.
The Exodus narrative in the Scriptures refers to the most important even in the history of spiritual Israel. The word itself means "Departure" symbolizing the departure of the spiritual people of Israel from Egypt (flesh bond), where they had been slaves. Above all, this narrative describes what God did, as he liberated them from the World powers which enslaved his people and formed them into a nation with hope for the future. The central human figure (with supernatural powers) in the narrative is Moses, the man whom God chose to lead his people from Egypt. The freeing of the Hebrews from slavery, their journey to Mount Sinai, God's covenant with his people at Sinai, which gave them moral, civil, and religious laws to live by to avoid punishment from the laws of the World, and the building and furnishing of a place in their hearts to worship God, and the laws regarding the priests and the worship to God, are pretty much very clear along the narrative.
In the Book of Isaiah, a prophet who lived in Jerusalem in the latter half of the 8th century BC, shows the time when Judah, the Southern Kingdom of the nation that God formed, was threatened by a powerful spiritual neighbor, Assyria. Isaiah shows in his narrative that the real threat to the spiritual life of Judah was not simply the spiritual might of Assyria coming from the realm of the World, but the nation's own sin and disobedience toward God and their luck of trust in Him and His Laws. Many went into exile in Babylon because their strength was weakened by their spiritual pollution and lack of trust to God, being vulnerable they were crushed by the Babylonians and left without hope. Isaiah proclaimed to the ones still loyal to the spiritual nation of Israel that God would set them free and take them home to the Spiritual Jerusalem to begin a New Life Order. He also stated that God is the Lord of history, and His Plan for His People includes all the nations of the World, who will be blessed through spiritual Israel. Isaiah addressed to people who needed reassurance that God was going to fulfill His Promises to His Nation. Concern is expressed for Righteousness and Justice, and also for Scripture observances, sacrifice, and prayer.
Isaiah addressed Nebo and the Gods of the World in chapter 41 saying, "Keep silence before Me, O, Islands (World Powers); and let the people renew their strength: Let them come near; then Let them speak: Let us come near together to Judgment." 41:1
"The Lord, the King of Israel, has this to say: 'You gods of the nations, present your case. Bring the best arguments you have! Come here and predict what will happen, so that we will know it when it takes place. Explain to the Court the events of the past, and tell us what they mean.' " 41: 21-22
"Tell us what the future holds, then we will know that you are gods!" 41: 23
"You and all you do are nothing; those who worship you are disgusting! " 41: 24
"When I looked among the gods, none of them had a thing to say; not one could answer the questions I asked. All these gods are useless; they can do nothing at all, these idols are weak and powerless."41:29
"I have chosen a man who lives in the East; I will bring him to attack from the North. He tramples on rulers as if they were mud, like a potter trampling clay. Which of you predicted that this would happen, so that we could say that you were right? None of you said a word about it; no one heard you say a thing! 42: 25 - 26.
Saturday, 14 November 2015
COSMIC POWERS OVER THIS PRESENT DARKENESS
Paul was concerned first of all that all believers have to pay careful attention to "God's plan to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head."
We have to develop depth and stability in our faith and live out the meaning of this great plan for the unity of mankind through oneness with Jesus Christ. Our foundation have to go far beyond cultures and ideologies, and our purpose transcends personal interests and preoccupations.
WALK IN LOVE: Therefore be imitators and followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us, as an offering and as a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not convenient; but rather giving of thanks.
For this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not you partakers with them. For you were sometimes Darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord, walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth). Ephesians 5:1-9
SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His Might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the darkness of this world, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6: 12-13
The Scriptures are straightforward. It declares that evil forces exist in the spiritual realm that have a substantial influence on the world and human events.
BELIEVERS ARE PEOPLE OF THE SPIRIT : But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Romans 8:9
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death. Romans 8: 1-2
Friday, 13 November 2015
DAVID'S EXPERIENCE OF THE LAST PASSOVER.
In our culture, Christians are unaware that the spiritual things are not different from the ones described by David in Psalm 18. Christians have to endure the final test of their hearts to prove their sincere Faith and that is manifested through the fiery trials done to them with the purpose of losing it.
Christians need to clarify their positions in Faith and the only way to get this clarity is through the understanding of the Scriptures.
The need to affirm identity and worth as God's chosen People make us understand the value of community. This value make us help each other when we are under trial, in order to get character and stand firm in our Faith. People under pressure tend to be vulnerable to the power of Satan.
David tells this song to assure us that God is fighting with us until His Kingdom come:
"How I love You, O Lord!" "You are my strength, my defender." He is my Protector; He is my strong Fortress; and with Him I am safe. He protects me like a shield. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies.
The cords of Death encompassed me, and the floods of the ungodly men (the torrents of perdition) made me afraid (assailed me), the waves of destruction rolled over me.
The cords of Hell (Sheol) entangled me, the snares of Death confronted me, the danger of Death was around me, and Death set its trap for me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. He heard my voice out of His Temple, and my cry for Him reached His ears.
Then the earth (matter) shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills moved and were shaken, because God was angry. Smoke poured out of His nostrils, a consuming Flame and burning coals from His mouth. He bowed (tore open)) the heavens, and came down, and thick Darkness was under His feet. And He rode on a cherub and did fly. He did fly on the wings of the Wind.
He made Darkness His covering around Him (His secret place). Thick clouds, full of Dark Water, surrounded Him.
At the brightness that was before Him, the thick clouds of dark waters broke and hailstones and coals of fire passed through. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave His voice and His voice was heard. And He sent out His arrows, and (routed) scattered them, sending them running.
Then the channels of Waters were seen, and the Foundations of the World were discovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostril. The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me. He drew me out of many and deep dark Waters. Psalm 18; 1-16
The cords of Death encompassed me, and the floods of the ungodly men (the torrents of perdition) made me afraid (assailed me), the waves of destruction rolled over me.
The cords of Hell (Sheol) entangled me, the snares of Death confronted me, the danger of Death was around me, and Death set its trap for me.
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. He heard my voice out of His Temple, and my cry for Him reached His ears.
Then the earth (matter) shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills moved and were shaken, because God was angry. Smoke poured out of His nostrils, a consuming Flame and burning coals from His mouth. He bowed (tore open)) the heavens, and came down, and thick Darkness was under His feet. And He rode on a cherub and did fly. He did fly on the wings of the Wind.
He made Darkness His covering around Him (His secret place). Thick clouds, full of Dark Water, surrounded Him.
At the brightness that was before Him, the thick clouds of dark waters broke and hailstones and coals of fire passed through. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave His voice and His voice was heard. And He sent out His arrows, and (routed) scattered them, sending them running.
Then the channels of Waters were seen, and the Foundations of the World were discovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostril. The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me. He drew me out of many and deep dark Waters. Psalm 18; 1-16
Wednesday, 11 November 2015
LIE IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THE DEVIL.
Lying involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth and with the intent to deceive or to injure him/herself or another person. A lie is not always verbal, it can also be expressed in action, that is, a person may be living a lie.
The father or originator of lying is Satan the Devil. He lied to the first woman, ultimately brought death to her and to her husband.
Jesus said to those Jews which believed on Him, "If you continue in My Word, then you are truly my disciples; and you will know The Truth and The Truth will make you free." John 8:31-32.
To the Jews that served Satan, the Devil, Jesus said, "I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill me, because My Word have no place in you." John 8:37.
"If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a Man that have told you The Truth, which I have heard of God. This is not what Abraham did. You do the deeds of your father the Devil." John 8:40-41.
"You are of your father the Devil, and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in The Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of it." John 8:44.
Isaiah says, "Woe unto them that call evil goo, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" 5:20
"Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 5:21
"Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised The Word of the Holy One of Israel." 5:24
Isaiah also says, "And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord.
And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with Righteousness He shall judge the poor in spirit, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And He shall smite the earth with the Rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips He shall slay the wicked. 11:1-4
God's view of malicious lying has not changed. Those desiring to gain His approval cannot engage in the practice of lying. They cannot be living a lie, claiming to love God while hating their brother.
God allows people who prefer falsehood get to believing a lie rather than the real Truth. A truthful person is not under the obligation to divulge information to people who have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol an agreement. They have made lies their refuge and in falsehood the have taken shelter (Isaiah 28). Jesus Christ counseled "Do not give what is Holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open."
(Matthew 7). That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm.
The father or originator of lying is Satan the Devil. He lied to the first woman, ultimately brought death to her and to her husband.
Jesus said to those Jews which believed on Him, "If you continue in My Word, then you are truly my disciples; and you will know The Truth and The Truth will make you free." John 8:31-32.
To the Jews that served Satan, the Devil, Jesus said, "I know that you are Abraham's seed; but you seek to kill me, because My Word have no place in you." John 8:37.
"If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a Man that have told you The Truth, which I have heard of God. This is not what Abraham did. You do the deeds of your father the Devil." John 8:40-41.
"You are of your father the Devil, and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in The Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar, and the father of it." John 8:44.
Isaiah says, "Woe unto them that call evil goo, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" 5:20
"Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 5:21
"Therefore as the fire devours the stubble, and the flame consumes the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised The Word of the Holy One of Israel." 5:24
Isaiah also says, "And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord.
And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with Righteousness He shall judge the poor in spirit, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And He shall smite the earth with the Rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips He shall slay the wicked. 11:1-4
God's view of malicious lying has not changed. Those desiring to gain His approval cannot engage in the practice of lying. They cannot be living a lie, claiming to love God while hating their brother.
God allows people who prefer falsehood get to believing a lie rather than the real Truth. A truthful person is not under the obligation to divulge information to people who have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol an agreement. They have made lies their refuge and in falsehood the have taken shelter (Isaiah 28). Jesus Christ counseled "Do not give what is Holy to dogs, neither throw your pearls before swine, that they may never trample them under their feet and turn around and rip you open."
(Matthew 7). That is why Jesus on certain occasions refrained from giving full information or direct answers to certain questions when doing so could have brought unnecessary harm.
Tuesday, 10 November 2015
MELCHIZ' EDEK, WHO IS HE?
Melchiz'edek is mentioned in the Scriptures in conjunction with priesthood. In Genesis 14 an alliance of Four Eastern Kings is mentioned, subjugating Five Cities of the Jordan Valley and the subsequent liberation of the cities by Abram. Following Abram's victory, Melchiz'edek approaches him with bread and wine and pronounces a blessing upon him.
The name Mechiz'edek means "King of Righteousness." As King of ancient Salem and "Priest of the Most High God," he is the first priest mentioned in the Scriptures.
Being the King of Salem, which means "King of the City of Peace," Melchiz'edek is identified by the apostle Paul as "King of Peace," and, on the basis of his name, as "King of Righteousness."
Hebrew 7 -For this Melchiz'edek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being that by interpretation (translation) of his name is King of Righteousness, and after that, also King of Salem, which is King of Peace.
Melchidekek is without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like (resembling) the Son of God; he continues a priest for ever.
Now consider how great this man is, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And those descendants that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take the tithes of the people according to the Law, that is of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham (these also are descended from Abraham).
But Melchizedek whose descent is not counted from them, received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had promises. It is beyond dispute, without all contradiction, that the inferior is blessed by the superior, the less is blessed of the better.
Here tithes are received by mortal men (men that die); there, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchiz'edek met him.
If therefore perfection had been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchiz'edek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the Law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; and Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.
And it is yet far more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchiz'edek, who has become a priest, not after the Law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchiz'edek."
On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, a better Hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath.
Those who formerly became priests took their office without an oath, but this one was addressed with an oath, "the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest for ever'" This make Jesus the surety of a better covenant.
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but this man, Jesus, holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For such a high priest he became to us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher that the heavens; who has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people. He did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Indeed, the Law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the Law, appoints a Son who is consecrated for ever.
The name Mechiz'edek means "King of Righteousness." As King of ancient Salem and "Priest of the Most High God," he is the first priest mentioned in the Scriptures.
Being the King of Salem, which means "King of the City of Peace," Melchiz'edek is identified by the apostle Paul as "King of Peace," and, on the basis of his name, as "King of Righteousness."
Hebrew 7 -For this Melchiz'edek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being that by interpretation (translation) of his name is King of Righteousness, and after that, also King of Salem, which is King of Peace.
Melchidekek is without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like (resembling) the Son of God; he continues a priest for ever.
Now consider how great this man is, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And those descendants that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take the tithes of the people according to the Law, that is of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham (these also are descended from Abraham).
But Melchizedek whose descent is not counted from them, received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had promises. It is beyond dispute, without all contradiction, that the inferior is blessed by the superior, the less is blessed of the better.
Here tithes are received by mortal men (men that die); there, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchiz'edek met him.
If therefore perfection had been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the Law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchiz'edek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the Law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; and Moses said nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.
And it is yet far more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchiz'edek, who has become a priest, not after the Law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchiz'edek."
On the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect); on the other hand, a better Hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. And it was not without an oath.
Those who formerly became priests took their office without an oath, but this one was addressed with an oath, "the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest for ever'" This make Jesus the surety of a better covenant.
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but this man, Jesus, holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
For such a high priest he became to us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher that the heavens; who has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people. He did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Indeed, the Law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the Law, appoints a Son who is consecrated for ever.
Monday, 9 November 2015
FROM WHAT SUBSTANCE WE WERE FORMED ?
Psalm 139: 13 For You did form my inward parts, You did knit me together in my mother's womb.
15 - My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
16 - Your eyes beheld my unformed substance; in Your Book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
(Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void).
23 - Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting !
17 - How precious to me are Your Thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
(Genesis 1: 2 and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters).
19 - O that You would slay the wicked, O God, and that men of blood would depart from me, men who maliciously defy You, who lift themselves up against You for evil!
(Genesis 1:2 And darkness was upon the face of the deep).(Genesis 3:5 When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil).
Psalm 140 :1-2 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart, and stir up wars continually.
3 - They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the poison of vipers.
9-11 - Let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them! Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into pits, no more to rise! Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before You, and the lifting up of my hands as evening sacrifice!
3-4 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of lips! Incline not my heart to any evil.
5 - Let a good man strike or rebuke me in kindness, but let the oil of the wicked never anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
Psalm 144: 3 O Lord, what is man that You do regard him, or the son of man that You do think of him?
4 - Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.
Psalm 145: 8-9 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that He has made.
Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! From the heavens, in the heights! All His angels. All His host! Praise Him, sun and moon, all you shining stars! You highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
For He commanded and they were created. He established them for ever and ever; He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling His command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for His People, praise for all His Saints, for the People of Israel who are near to Him. Praise the Lord!
15 - My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.
16 - Your eyes beheld my unformed substance; in Your Book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
(Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void).
23 - Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting !
17 - How precious to me are Your Thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
(Genesis 1: 2 and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters).
19 - O that You would slay the wicked, O God, and that men of blood would depart from me, men who maliciously defy You, who lift themselves up against You for evil!
(Genesis 1:2 And darkness was upon the face of the deep).(Genesis 3:5 When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil).
Psalm 140 :1-2 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart, and stir up wars continually.
3 - They make their tongue sharp as a serpent's, and under their lips is the poison of vipers.
9-11 - Let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them! Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into pits, no more to rise! Let not the slanderer be established in the land; let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before You, and the lifting up of my hands as evening sacrifice!
3-4 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord, keep watch over the door of lips! Incline not my heart to any evil.
5 - Let a good man strike or rebuke me in kindness, but let the oil of the wicked never anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
Psalm 144: 3 O Lord, what is man that You do regard him, or the son of man that You do think of him?
4 - Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.
Psalm 145: 8-9 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that He has made.
Psalm 148 Praise the Lord! From the heavens, in the heights! All His angels. All His host! Praise Him, sun and moon, all you shining stars! You highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
For He commanded and they were created. He established them for ever and ever; He fixed their bounds which cannot be passed.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling His command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
Let them praise the Name of the Lord, for His Name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for His People, praise for all His Saints, for the People of Israel who are near to Him. Praise the Lord!
WHY JESUS DIDN'T EAT THE PASSOVER WITH HIS APOSTLES?
Luke 22: 7- 16 -Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover Lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover for us, that WE MAY EAT IT."
They said to Him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" Jesus said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, 'a man carrying a jar of water' will meet you; follow him into 'the house which he enters,' and tell the 'householder,' "The Teacher says to you, Where is the 'guest room,' where 'I AM TO EAT THE PASSOVER WITH MY DISCIPLES?" And he will show you 'a large upper room furnished;' there make ready." And they went, and found it as He has told them; and they prepared the PASSOVER.
And when the Hour came, He sat at the table, and the apostles with him. And Jesus said to them, "I HAVE EARNESTLY DESIRED TO EAT THIS PASSOVER WITH YOU BEFORE I SUFFER; for I tell you I SHALL NOT EAT IT UNTIL IT IS FULFILLED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD."
In the Scriptures, "unleavened bread"is a symbol of "without sin." Leaven permeates the whole lump of dough, in the same way "sin" will spread in a person, church or nation, eventually overwhelming and bringing its participants into its bondage and to death.
Genesis 3: 1-3 Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He (masculine power in the flesh) said to the woman (feminine power in Adam's spirit who complement his authority over the flesh), "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die."(Woman as complement of man she had authority over the senses of the human body).
Genesis 2: 15-17 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,"You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL YOU SHALL NOT EAT, FOR IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT OF IT YOU SHALL DIE."
Genesis 3: 4-7 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For GOD KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU EAT OF IT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED (born in the flesh and not in the spirit) AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL (but only in the flesh).
Romans 6:23 tell us that "the wages of sin is death," which is God's judgment for sin, and this the reason that Christ didn't eat the passover with his apostles, instead CHRIST DIED TO PROVIDE US A WAY OUT OF THIS JUDGMENT FOR SIN if man will repent with a sincere heart of all his sins and accept Christ as his PASSOVER sacrifice.
They said to Him, "Where will you have us prepare it?" Jesus said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, 'a man carrying a jar of water' will meet you; follow him into 'the house which he enters,' and tell the 'householder,' "The Teacher says to you, Where is the 'guest room,' where 'I AM TO EAT THE PASSOVER WITH MY DISCIPLES?" And he will show you 'a large upper room furnished;' there make ready." And they went, and found it as He has told them; and they prepared the PASSOVER.
And when the Hour came, He sat at the table, and the apostles with him. And Jesus said to them, "I HAVE EARNESTLY DESIRED TO EAT THIS PASSOVER WITH YOU BEFORE I SUFFER; for I tell you I SHALL NOT EAT IT UNTIL IT IS FULFILLED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD."
In the Scriptures, "unleavened bread"is a symbol of "without sin." Leaven permeates the whole lump of dough, in the same way "sin" will spread in a person, church or nation, eventually overwhelming and bringing its participants into its bondage and to death.
Genesis 3: 1-3 Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the Lord God had made. He (masculine power in the flesh) said to the woman (feminine power in Adam's spirit who complement his authority over the flesh), "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die."(Woman as complement of man she had authority over the senses of the human body).
Genesis 2: 15-17 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,"You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL YOU SHALL NOT EAT, FOR IN THE DAY THAT YOU EAT OF IT YOU SHALL DIE."
Genesis 3: 4-7 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For GOD KNOWS THAT WHEN YOU EAT OF IT YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED (born in the flesh and not in the spirit) AND YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD, KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL (but only in the flesh).
Romans 6:23 tell us that "the wages of sin is death," which is God's judgment for sin, and this the reason that Christ didn't eat the passover with his apostles, instead CHRIST DIED TO PROVIDE US A WAY OUT OF THIS JUDGMENT FOR SIN if man will repent with a sincere heart of all his sins and accept Christ as his PASSOVER sacrifice.
Sunday, 8 November 2015
THE PASSOVER, what it means?
Luke 22: 1 - Now the feast of the Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the PASSOVER. (Exodus12: 40-42 The time that the people of Israel dwelt in Egypt was 430 years. And at the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations).
2 - And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put Jesus to death; for they feared the people.
3-5 - Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the 12; Judas called Iscariot went away and conferred with the chief priests and captains how he might betray Jesus to them. And they were glad, and engaged to give him money.
6 - So he agreed, and sought an opportunity to betray Jesus to them in the absence of the multitude.
7 - Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
(Exodus 12: 21-23 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Select lambs for yourselves according to your families, and KILL THE PASSOVER LAMB. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood which is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will PASS THROUGH to slay the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will PASS OVER the door, and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to slay you).
PASSOVER commemorates the DELIVERANCE of the Israelites from Egypt and the PASSING OVER of their FIRSTBORN when the Lord destroyed the firstborn of Egypt.
The head of the family was responsible for the slaying of the lamb at each home. The partakers ate in a standing position, their hips girded so their robes would not impede walking, staff in hand, sandals on to be ready for a long journey over rough ground.
At midnight all the firstborn of the Egyptians were slain from the house of the Pharaoh himself to the firstborn of the prisoner, any male firstborn one in the household under the head as well as the male firstborn of animals that was involve.
Numbers 8: 14-19 Thus you (Moses) shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. And after the Levites shall go in to do service at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering.
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. For all the first-born among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of the beast; ON THE DAY THAT I SLEW ALL THE FIRST-BORN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT I consecrated them for myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel.
Exodus 12: 14-17 "This day shall be for you a Memorial Day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ORDINANCE FOREVER.
2 - And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put Jesus to death; for they feared the people.
3-5 - Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the 12; Judas called Iscariot went away and conferred with the chief priests and captains how he might betray Jesus to them. And they were glad, and engaged to give him money.
6 - So he agreed, and sought an opportunity to betray Jesus to them in the absence of the multitude.
7 - Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
(Exodus 12: 21-23 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Select lambs for yourselves according to your families, and KILL THE PASSOVER LAMB. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood which is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will PASS THROUGH to slay the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will PASS OVER the door, and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to slay you).
PASSOVER commemorates the DELIVERANCE of the Israelites from Egypt and the PASSING OVER of their FIRSTBORN when the Lord destroyed the firstborn of Egypt.
The head of the family was responsible for the slaying of the lamb at each home. The partakers ate in a standing position, their hips girded so their robes would not impede walking, staff in hand, sandals on to be ready for a long journey over rough ground.
At midnight all the firstborn of the Egyptians were slain from the house of the Pharaoh himself to the firstborn of the prisoner, any male firstborn one in the household under the head as well as the male firstborn of animals that was involve.
Numbers 8: 14-19 Thus you (Moses) shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. And after the Levites shall go in to do service at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering.
For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel; instead of all that open the womb, the first-born of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. For all the first-born among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of the beast; ON THE DAY THAT I SLEW ALL THE FIRST-BORN IN THE LAND OF EGYPT I consecrated them for myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the first-born among the people of Israel.
Exodus 12: 14-17 "This day shall be for you a Memorial Day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ORDINANCE FOREVER.
Saturday, 7 November 2015
The NAME of GOD, and the LAND flowing with MILK and HONEY.
Exodus 3:(After Moses was called by God to do His Plan and liberated his people (with sincere heart) from the hands of the Egyptians (representing the power of the flesh), the story continue:
Then Moses said to God (at Horeb, the Mountain of God), "If I come to the people of Israel (in spirit) and say to them , 'The God of your fathers, has sent me to you,' and they ask me, "WHAT IS HIS NAME?' what shall I say to them?"(meaning that they were overwhelmed by many spirits that behaved as if they were the ones with power).
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"(The Creator). And He said, "Say this to the people of Israel (in spirit); 'The Lord, the God of your fathers (in a spiritual sense the ones responsible for their beings),
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you' : THIS IS MY NAME FOREVER, and thus I AM TO BE REMEMBERED THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS."
"Go and gather the elders of Israel together (to unify His power), and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I HAVE OBSERVED YOU (in your hearts) and what has been done to you (in spirit) in Egypt (Flesh power); and I PROMISE that I WILL BRING YOU UP out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land (good and broad) of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."Exodus 3: 13-17.
Given that Milk is as staple food for humans from the time of its childhood to its dead it is used in the Scriptures in the physical and spiritual senses. The main food source for milk is the cow.
Since ancient times it is associated with many stories of the Creation. It is a symbol of divinity and an emblem of growing in abundance and wealth, also during times of famine, milk is far more useful as a limitless resource than a dead beast that would provide meat for a limited period only. It made far more sense to keep cows alive for its milk rather that slaughter and eat it purely for its meat. So all parts of the cow were sacred and were ruled by specific gods and goddesses. Milk was the absolute nectar of life from which god and goddesses were maintained alive in a physical and spiritual way.
According to ancient beliefs, Milk was a symbolic way to understand the process of creation of the cosmic sea. The cosmic sea, symbolizing a sea of Milk, was churned. The curds were stirred and formed the Earth, the Universe, and the Stars. Three different levels in the cosmographic view.
To the Egyptians, Milk was a life product obtained from their goddess, Aher, considered to be the universal fertility power that formed the Sun itself, in their beliefs, everything existed because of her.
To make themselves a land for her in order to obtain power in the Earth, Egyptians women wore amulets of the goddess Hathor, with the head of a cow, in her guise as the creator of all the power abounded in the universe and manifested in the flesh.
The cow was considered a creature able to conduct the souls of the dead to the Underworld. The voyage included a journey through the Milky Way, the constellations of stars said to be the Milk splashed by the great goddess in the personification of a cow. She was considered a Mother, and the one in command of all the souls that freely accepted her and follow her as the only one in control of their souls.
There was a custom in which a cow was brought in a symbolic way to the room where a sick person was waiting for its final breath. The dying person was encouraged to grasp the tail of the cow as he breaded his last bread giving it back to the power that controlled him during the time when he was a spirit, and then during the time of his journey in the earth.
The cow was so revered and treated so gently with a great respect symbolizing the tenet of their faith. In our time, this power continue alive, attracting more and more souls to it, and making them slaves to it, forgetting the real purpose of our journey in this world, that is our spiritual place in the Land flowing with Milk and Honey.
Honey is a natural preservative and it is used in the spiritual world as a symbolic way of preserving our beliefs. As food for the human body it proved to have long lasting time of preservation that even the honey jars found in the tombs of the Egyptian Kings from several thousand years ago are perfectly edible even now.
Honey also is used as symbol of immortality and used in funerary rites.
The sweetness of honey is believed to confer gifts of spiritual learning nature. As well as being edible and fermentable, honey has healing and antiseptic qualities for the body and for the soul. A dollop of honey smeared onto a wound will soon draw out any impurities and speed the healing process.
Honey also is a symbol of life, because of the flowers from which it is made came from the process of pollination (place pollen on the stigma at a specific time and place to make it conceive). Also the color of honey is the color of the sun that give the physical life to the plants
Then Moses said to God (at Horeb, the Mountain of God), "If I come to the people of Israel (in spirit) and say to them , 'The God of your fathers, has sent me to you,' and they ask me, "WHAT IS HIS NAME?' what shall I say to them?"(meaning that they were overwhelmed by many spirits that behaved as if they were the ones with power).
God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"(The Creator). And He said, "Say this to the people of Israel (in spirit); 'The Lord, the God of your fathers (in a spiritual sense the ones responsible for their beings),
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you' : THIS IS MY NAME FOREVER, and thus I AM TO BE REMEMBERED THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS."
"Go and gather the elders of Israel together (to unify His power), and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: I HAVE OBSERVED YOU (in your hearts) and what has been done to you (in spirit) in Egypt (Flesh power); and I PROMISE that I WILL BRING YOU UP out of the affliction of Egypt, to the land (good and broad) of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."Exodus 3: 13-17.
Given that Milk is as staple food for humans from the time of its childhood to its dead it is used in the Scriptures in the physical and spiritual senses. The main food source for milk is the cow.
Since ancient times it is associated with many stories of the Creation. It is a symbol of divinity and an emblem of growing in abundance and wealth, also during times of famine, milk is far more useful as a limitless resource than a dead beast that would provide meat for a limited period only. It made far more sense to keep cows alive for its milk rather that slaughter and eat it purely for its meat. So all parts of the cow were sacred and were ruled by specific gods and goddesses. Milk was the absolute nectar of life from which god and goddesses were maintained alive in a physical and spiritual way.
According to ancient beliefs, Milk was a symbolic way to understand the process of creation of the cosmic sea. The cosmic sea, symbolizing a sea of Milk, was churned. The curds were stirred and formed the Earth, the Universe, and the Stars. Three different levels in the cosmographic view.
To the Egyptians, Milk was a life product obtained from their goddess, Aher, considered to be the universal fertility power that formed the Sun itself, in their beliefs, everything existed because of her.
To make themselves a land for her in order to obtain power in the Earth, Egyptians women wore amulets of the goddess Hathor, with the head of a cow, in her guise as the creator of all the power abounded in the universe and manifested in the flesh.
The cow was considered a creature able to conduct the souls of the dead to the Underworld. The voyage included a journey through the Milky Way, the constellations of stars said to be the Milk splashed by the great goddess in the personification of a cow. She was considered a Mother, and the one in command of all the souls that freely accepted her and follow her as the only one in control of their souls.
There was a custom in which a cow was brought in a symbolic way to the room where a sick person was waiting for its final breath. The dying person was encouraged to grasp the tail of the cow as he breaded his last bread giving it back to the power that controlled him during the time when he was a spirit, and then during the time of his journey in the earth.
The cow was so revered and treated so gently with a great respect symbolizing the tenet of their faith. In our time, this power continue alive, attracting more and more souls to it, and making them slaves to it, forgetting the real purpose of our journey in this world, that is our spiritual place in the Land flowing with Milk and Honey.
Honey is a natural preservative and it is used in the spiritual world as a symbolic way of preserving our beliefs. As food for the human body it proved to have long lasting time of preservation that even the honey jars found in the tombs of the Egyptian Kings from several thousand years ago are perfectly edible even now.
Honey also is used as symbol of immortality and used in funerary rites.
The sweetness of honey is believed to confer gifts of spiritual learning nature. As well as being edible and fermentable, honey has healing and antiseptic qualities for the body and for the soul. A dollop of honey smeared onto a wound will soon draw out any impurities and speed the healing process.
Honey also is a symbol of life, because of the flowers from which it is made came from the process of pollination (place pollen on the stigma at a specific time and place to make it conceive). Also the color of honey is the color of the sun that give the physical life to the plants
Friday, 6 November 2015
MOSES AND JETHRO IN THE WORLD OF THE SPIRITS
Exodus 3 Now Moses was keeping the flock (souls) of his father-in-law, Jethro (a Kenite and head of a very large house and descendants of Keturah, Abraham's wife after Sarah's death), the priest of Midian (place of judgment); and he led his flock (souls that were instructed in God's Law) to the West Side of the Wilderness, and came to Horeb, the Mountain of God (a holy ground).
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and Moses looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. (God's power is not in the flesh).
And Moses said, "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." (He was looking for a man made explanation).
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "Here I am."
The he said, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet (take off the unrighteousness), for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (Four different houses).
And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid (guiltiness)to look at God.
Then the Lord said, "I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt (in the flesh), and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians (using God's people as their slaves because of their lack of faith), and to bring them up out of that land (the land of the flesh) to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey (a spiritual land), to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Those were the ones inhabiting the land that God wanted to give to his people since only with his power they would be able to succeed in spirit and take it over).
And now, behold, the cry (the heart of his people claiming for God's help) of the people of Israel has come to me (with a sincere heart), and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. ( The power in the flesh didn't let them to worship God)."
"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh (King of the flesh) that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God,"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel (sons in the spirit) out of Egypt?"
He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this Mountain." (Moses' house could serve God from there). Exodus 3: 1-12
Primarily the Midianites were tent dwellers. Paul, the apostle, also had his family in the same profession. They were prosperous, having asses and animals of the flock and the herd numbering the tens of thousands. They represent man made religion and the incredible amount of souls that follow them.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and Moses looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. (God's power is not in the flesh).
And Moses said, "I will turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." (He was looking for a man made explanation).
When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!"
And he said, "Here I am."
The he said, "Do not come near; put off your shoes from your feet (take off the unrighteousness), for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." (Four different houses).
And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid (guiltiness)to look at God.
Then the Lord said, "I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt (in the flesh), and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians (using God's people as their slaves because of their lack of faith), and to bring them up out of that land (the land of the flesh) to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey (a spiritual land), to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Those were the ones inhabiting the land that God wanted to give to his people since only with his power they would be able to succeed in spirit and take it over).
And now, behold, the cry (the heart of his people claiming for God's help) of the people of Israel has come to me (with a sincere heart), and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. ( The power in the flesh didn't let them to worship God)."
"Come, I will send you to Pharaoh (King of the flesh) that you may bring forth my people, the sons of Israel out of Egypt."
But Moses said to God,"Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel (sons in the spirit) out of Egypt?"
He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this Mountain." (Moses' house could serve God from there). Exodus 3: 1-12
Primarily the Midianites were tent dwellers. Paul, the apostle, also had his family in the same profession. They were prosperous, having asses and animals of the flock and the herd numbering the tens of thousands. They represent man made religion and the incredible amount of souls that follow them.
Thursday, 29 October 2015
THE CITY OF GADARA
The city of Gadara once belonged to the territory of the ancient commercial and geographical confederacy known as The Decapolis, The Ten Cities, which were scattered over a wide area of Syro-Palestine in Greco-Roman times.
The cities of the Decapolis are mentioned several times in the New Testament. Gadara, in particular, is famous for the symbolic record of the "Gadarene Swine,"in the Gospel of Matthew.
The Gospel according to Matthew tells the news that Jesus is the promised Saviour, the one through whom God fulfilled the promises He made to His people in the Old Testament. The news is not only for the Jewish people, among whom Jesus was born and lived, but for the whole world.
The Gospel presents Jesus as the greatest Teacher, who has the authority to interpret the Law of God.
The writings are carefully arranged. It begins with the birth of Jesus, describes his baptism and temptation, and then takes up his ministry of preaching, teaching and healing in Galilee. After this the records goes on to Jesus' journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and the events of Jesus' last week in the earth.
The record of the "Gadarene Swine"says: When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, 2 demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.
And behold, they cried out, :What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine."
And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters.
The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what happened to the demoniacs.
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Ancient Gadara is known for its fine tradition of man made philosophy and poetic satire. Its first great son was Menippus. He was a Cynic philosopher and satirist, but allegedly a slave by origin, who on earning his freedom, made money as a ship-broker, but hanged himself on losing it.
Men in Gadara were controlled by demon power and they were slaves of their own fleshy desires.
The way in which demon power worked over humans was symbolized through the crafty use of the aqueducts designed by Greco-Roman engineers The only purpose of the aqueducts were to connect water to cities to waste massive quantities of water.
The comparison that Matthew portrait in his narrative is about how Jews handled the spiritual water that God let them to drink and use and how the Roman's water, coming from the world controlled by Satan served to overindulge themselves to the point that they were slaves to their own fleshy desires.
The demons there were so powerful because men decreased his spiritual level letting the unclean spirits take control over the heart and mind of all of them. Legions of demons possessed them.
When Jesus appeared there none of them recognized him in their spirit, the ones who did it were the demons themselves.
In Semitic languages, "Gadar" means a "wall" or "boundary." Later in Talmudic texts associatively connected "Gader" with the area of the "vineyard wall" ("Gader") where an angel is said to have halted the prophet Balaam. It was then that his ass was supposed to have miraculously addressed its master complaining of his ill-treatment. (Num. 22:24-29)
In the world that we are living with today, how many of us would recognize Jesus?
The cities of the Decapolis are mentioned several times in the New Testament. Gadara, in particular, is famous for the symbolic record of the "Gadarene Swine,"in the Gospel of Matthew.
The Gospel according to Matthew tells the news that Jesus is the promised Saviour, the one through whom God fulfilled the promises He made to His people in the Old Testament. The news is not only for the Jewish people, among whom Jesus was born and lived, but for the whole world.
The Gospel presents Jesus as the greatest Teacher, who has the authority to interpret the Law of God.
The writings are carefully arranged. It begins with the birth of Jesus, describes his baptism and temptation, and then takes up his ministry of preaching, teaching and healing in Galilee. After this the records goes on to Jesus' journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and the events of Jesus' last week in the earth.
The record of the "Gadarene Swine"says: When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, 2 demoniacs met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.
And behold, they cried out, :What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"
Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine."
And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters.
The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what happened to the demoniacs.
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Ancient Gadara is known for its fine tradition of man made philosophy and poetic satire. Its first great son was Menippus. He was a Cynic philosopher and satirist, but allegedly a slave by origin, who on earning his freedom, made money as a ship-broker, but hanged himself on losing it.
Men in Gadara were controlled by demon power and they were slaves of their own fleshy desires.
The way in which demon power worked over humans was symbolized through the crafty use of the aqueducts designed by Greco-Roman engineers The only purpose of the aqueducts were to connect water to cities to waste massive quantities of water.
The comparison that Matthew portrait in his narrative is about how Jews handled the spiritual water that God let them to drink and use and how the Roman's water, coming from the world controlled by Satan served to overindulge themselves to the point that they were slaves to their own fleshy desires.
The demons there were so powerful because men decreased his spiritual level letting the unclean spirits take control over the heart and mind of all of them. Legions of demons possessed them.
When Jesus appeared there none of them recognized him in their spirit, the ones who did it were the demons themselves.
In Semitic languages, "Gadar" means a "wall" or "boundary." Later in Talmudic texts associatively connected "Gader" with the area of the "vineyard wall" ("Gader") where an angel is said to have halted the prophet Balaam. It was then that his ass was supposed to have miraculously addressed its master complaining of his ill-treatment. (Num. 22:24-29)
In the world that we are living with today, how many of us would recognize Jesus?
Thursday, 22 October 2015
PAUL, the THIRD HEAVEN, and the SUPER APOSTLES.
No one, except for Jesus, influenced the development of early Christianity more than Paul. He was the foremost apologist for the gentile mission, and the most eloquent defender of the centrality of the Scriptures, and morality for his predominantly gentile churches. Thirteen of the twenty seven books of the New Testament are attributed to him.
Paul, an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin, holding a Hebrew name, Saul, and a Roman name, Paul, chose to use his Roman name in view of his commission to declare the Gospel to the non-Jews.
Paul was born in Tarsus, a prominent city of Cilicia. His parents were Hebrews and he was a Roman citizen from birth. He learned the trade of of tentmaker from his father, and at Jerusalem, he received instruction from the learned Pharisee Gamaliel. Language-wise, Paul was versed in Greek and Hebrew.
At the time Paul travelled as a missionary he was unmarried. He had a sister and a nephew who resided in Jerusalem.
The Biblical record introduces Saul (his hebrew name) as the young man at whose feet the false witnesses who stoned Christ's disciple Stephen laid their "outer garments." Because of misdirected zeal for tradition, he began a campaign of vicious persecution against Christ's followers. He extended his persecution to cities other than Jerusalem as far as North of Damascus, and in Syria.
As Paul neared Damascus, Christ Jesus revealed himself to him in a flashing light and commissioned him to be an attendant and a witness of the things he had seen and would yet see.
Paul wrote :"Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago -whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows -such a man was caught up to the Third Heaven. And I know How such a man -whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows -was caught up to Paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." 2Cor. 12:2-4
Who were the "super apostles" that Paul referred to? This is the title that the false apostles used to call themselves, because the title tends to misguide the Truth. This term is found in 2 Cor. 11:5; 12:11.
Paul made reference to them as "a lot (apostles) that defied the authority of the apostleship on what was then the theocratic authority. They even ridiculed on criticized Paul in respects to his speech. 2 Cor 10.
That is why he sarcastically referred to them as "super apostles."
Paul had divine backing as an apostle and that is the main reason that through divine inspiration Paul was able to indicate to the congregation in Corinth that these "super apostles" were not speaking Truth.
Just as Eve was seduced by the cunning serpent so the congregation was in danger of being corrupted in their minds.
Paul had not proved himself being inferior in his apostleship in comparison to them. he had endured so much: imprisonment, beatings, shipwreck 3 times, so many dangers, going often without sleep or food.
Yet through it all he never lost sight of the needs of the congregations and always felt compassion when someone stumbled.
The true measure of a man of God does not lie in his claims of visions and experiences with God, or the force of his personality, or the size of his ministry, or his educational degrees, or any other human criteria.
A true man of God is marked by how much he had suffered in the war against the kingdom of darkness, how concerned he is for people, how humble he is, and how accurately he handles the supernatural revelation found in God's work. (2 Timothy 2:15).
Sunday, 27 September 2015
THE BOOKS OF KINGS. Why they were written?
The aim of the Books of Kings is to demonstrate that the covenant relationship with God is not just in the physical realm, it has to be in harmony with the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms.
The writer sets out to demonstrate that although Israel stood in covenant relationship with God, most of her Kings had rejected and outraged the covenant obligations.
The Kings of both Judah and Israel are reviewed while they were passing, and as far as possible, they were treated contemporaneously. The spiritual worth of each King is determined by comparison with two Kings of former years. These two Kings were: King David who held closely to the covenant, and King Jeroboam of Israel who forsook the covenant. Comparison in this way shows whether a given king "walked in the ways of Davis his father" or "in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat."
The writer, evidently, found that on this basis very few of the Kings of Israel or Judah kept the covenant with God. Notable exceptions were the King Asa (1Kings 15), King Jehoshaphat (1Kings 22), Hezekiah (2Kings 18-20) and Josiah (2Kings 22-23), and even these had some defects.
David was the ideal example, he was the more closely role model than any. His parting advice to his son Solomon was that he should keep God's commandments (1Kings 2). In that loyalty to the covenant relationship lay the only hope of prosperity and peace. To depart from that way was to risk divine judgment.
Loyalty to God's covenant stemmed from Abraham, but found national expression at the time of Exodus, when Israel, recently delivered from Egypt, meaning the forces of the flesh, stood at Mount Sinai and entered into a solemn spiritual covenant with God (Exodus 19; 24). Thereafter Israel was to be God's own people, set apart from the nations, obedient to His commandments and loyal to him.
They were forbidden to enter into covenants with other entities or other gods. Adherence to the covenant with God would result in blessings; departure from it would result in cursing and judgment.
These principles are clearly worked out in 2 Kings 17-23.
The writer traces the story of Israel's Kings from Solomon to the last king of Judah. In a sincere and honest manner he records the sad story of the rejection of the covenant by most of the rulers. The final collapse of Israel before Assyria (2Kings 17) and of Judah before Babylon (2Kings 25) was a demonstration of the Truth of the Principle underlying the Book and came as no surprise to men of spiritual discernment.
In later days the two Books of Kings remained as a warning to the remnant of God's people, and thus provided a practical lesson in the Truth that rejection of God's covenant, being a sinful and rebellious act, can only result in divine judgment.
The writer sets out to demonstrate that although Israel stood in covenant relationship with God, most of her Kings had rejected and outraged the covenant obligations.
The Kings of both Judah and Israel are reviewed while they were passing, and as far as possible, they were treated contemporaneously. The spiritual worth of each King is determined by comparison with two Kings of former years. These two Kings were: King David who held closely to the covenant, and King Jeroboam of Israel who forsook the covenant. Comparison in this way shows whether a given king "walked in the ways of Davis his father" or "in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat."
The writer, evidently, found that on this basis very few of the Kings of Israel or Judah kept the covenant with God. Notable exceptions were the King Asa (1Kings 15), King Jehoshaphat (1Kings 22), Hezekiah (2Kings 18-20) and Josiah (2Kings 22-23), and even these had some defects.
David was the ideal example, he was the more closely role model than any. His parting advice to his son Solomon was that he should keep God's commandments (1Kings 2). In that loyalty to the covenant relationship lay the only hope of prosperity and peace. To depart from that way was to risk divine judgment.
Loyalty to God's covenant stemmed from Abraham, but found national expression at the time of Exodus, when Israel, recently delivered from Egypt, meaning the forces of the flesh, stood at Mount Sinai and entered into a solemn spiritual covenant with God (Exodus 19; 24). Thereafter Israel was to be God's own people, set apart from the nations, obedient to His commandments and loyal to him.
They were forbidden to enter into covenants with other entities or other gods. Adherence to the covenant with God would result in blessings; departure from it would result in cursing and judgment.
These principles are clearly worked out in 2 Kings 17-23.
The writer traces the story of Israel's Kings from Solomon to the last king of Judah. In a sincere and honest manner he records the sad story of the rejection of the covenant by most of the rulers. The final collapse of Israel before Assyria (2Kings 17) and of Judah before Babylon (2Kings 25) was a demonstration of the Truth of the Principle underlying the Book and came as no surprise to men of spiritual discernment.
In later days the two Books of Kings remained as a warning to the remnant of God's people, and thus provided a practical lesson in the Truth that rejection of God's covenant, being a sinful and rebellious act, can only result in divine judgment.
Saturday, 12 September 2015
ABRAHAM, ISAIAH, JESUS, ALL MEN OF FAITH CALLED FROM THE WOM OF THE EARTH.
Isaiah (God's salvation), the son of Amoz (not the prophet Amos) served Judah and Jerusalem as a prophet in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah in the Kingdom of Judah, and Kings Pekah, and Hosea, ruling in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Contemporary prophets were Micah, Hosea and Oded.
Isaiah writes in his book in chapter 49 about his birth: "Listen to me, O coast lands; Hearken you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword (Word of God), He hid me in the shadow of his hand;
He made me a polished arrow, He hid me away in his quiver." 49:1-2
Isaiah was commissioning by God in a vision to do the work of speaking to the people of Judah and Jerusalem about God's coming judgments. He was told in advance that the nation will refuse to take heed. God said that this situation would continue until the nation would come to ruin, and that only a "Tenth," a "Holy Seed," would be left like the stump of a massive tree.
The first occurrence of the word "prophet" in the Scriptures refers to Abraham. The first identified as a "Hebrew." Like Abel, Enoch, and Noah, he was a man of faith. But the first to be mentioned with the expression "put faith in God" is Abraham, that is the reason why he is called "the father of all those having faith." This man of unusual faith walked with God and was in constant communication with him by means of visions and dreams.
When the Son of God, Jesus, and his disciples referred to Abraham, they did it more than 70 times in their conversations and writings. In Jesus' illustration of the rich man and Lazarus, he referred to the prophet Abraham, the father of all those having faith, in a symbolic sense. When his opponents, the people who refused to take heed, boasted that they were the offspring of Abraham, Jesus was quick to point out their hypocrisy saying: "If you are Abraham's children, do the works of Abraham."
The apostle Paul said that it is not fleshy descents that counts, but rather, having the faith like that of Abraham that enables one to be declared righteous. Paul also identified the true seed of Abraham as Christ, along with those who belong to Christ as "heirs with reference to a promise."Abraham's two women, Sarah and Hagar, were actually making a symbolic drama illustrating God's two covenants, the one with Abraham and the one with Jesus.
In Galatians 4 we find the reason: ...So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to "elemental spirits of the universe." But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a womb of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ... So through God you are not longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to "beings that by nature are no gods;" but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the 'weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more? ....
When Sarah died at Hebron at the age of 127, it was necessary for Abraham to purchase a burial plot, for indeed he was only a temporary resident owning no land in Canaan, so he bought a field with its cave at Machpelah near Mamre from the sons of Heth. The second covenant was an expectation and God instructed Abraham to so.
When 4 allied kings, headed by Mesopotamian King Chedorlaomer (chief of the elemental spirits of the universe), were successful in crushing a revolt if five Canaanites (slaves to them) kings, Sodom and Gomorrah were sacked and Lot was taken captive together with all his property. Abraham, upon learning of this, quickly mustered 318 of "his trained (universal) household servants," made a force march in hot pursuit Northward to beyond the spiritual Damascus, and with God's help, defeated a far superior force. As Abraham was returning from this great "victory" a "priest of the "Most High God,"
Melchizedek, who was also the king of Salem, came out and blessed him, and Abraham, in turn, "gave him a Tenth of everything."
We now understand that God's plan about the salvation of His People is true. We are requested to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might. We need to wear the whole armor of God, that we might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (elemental spirits of the universe). For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Isaiah writes in his book in chapter 49 about his birth: "Listen to me, O coast lands; Hearken you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword (Word of God), He hid me in the shadow of his hand;
He made me a polished arrow, He hid me away in his quiver." 49:1-2
Isaiah was commissioning by God in a vision to do the work of speaking to the people of Judah and Jerusalem about God's coming judgments. He was told in advance that the nation will refuse to take heed. God said that this situation would continue until the nation would come to ruin, and that only a "Tenth," a "Holy Seed," would be left like the stump of a massive tree.
The first occurrence of the word "prophet" in the Scriptures refers to Abraham. The first identified as a "Hebrew." Like Abel, Enoch, and Noah, he was a man of faith. But the first to be mentioned with the expression "put faith in God" is Abraham, that is the reason why he is called "the father of all those having faith." This man of unusual faith walked with God and was in constant communication with him by means of visions and dreams.
When the Son of God, Jesus, and his disciples referred to Abraham, they did it more than 70 times in their conversations and writings. In Jesus' illustration of the rich man and Lazarus, he referred to the prophet Abraham, the father of all those having faith, in a symbolic sense. When his opponents, the people who refused to take heed, boasted that they were the offspring of Abraham, Jesus was quick to point out their hypocrisy saying: "If you are Abraham's children, do the works of Abraham."
The apostle Paul said that it is not fleshy descents that counts, but rather, having the faith like that of Abraham that enables one to be declared righteous. Paul also identified the true seed of Abraham as Christ, along with those who belong to Christ as "heirs with reference to a promise."Abraham's two women, Sarah and Hagar, were actually making a symbolic drama illustrating God's two covenants, the one with Abraham and the one with Jesus.
In Galatians 4 we find the reason: ...So with us; when we were children, we were slaves to "elemental spirits of the universe." But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a womb of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ... So through God you are not longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to "beings that by nature are no gods;" but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the 'weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more? ....
When Sarah died at Hebron at the age of 127, it was necessary for Abraham to purchase a burial plot, for indeed he was only a temporary resident owning no land in Canaan, so he bought a field with its cave at Machpelah near Mamre from the sons of Heth. The second covenant was an expectation and God instructed Abraham to so.
When 4 allied kings, headed by Mesopotamian King Chedorlaomer (chief of the elemental spirits of the universe), were successful in crushing a revolt if five Canaanites (slaves to them) kings, Sodom and Gomorrah were sacked and Lot was taken captive together with all his property. Abraham, upon learning of this, quickly mustered 318 of "his trained (universal) household servants," made a force march in hot pursuit Northward to beyond the spiritual Damascus, and with God's help, defeated a far superior force. As Abraham was returning from this great "victory" a "priest of the "Most High God,"
Melchizedek, who was also the king of Salem, came out and blessed him, and Abraham, in turn, "gave him a Tenth of everything."
We now understand that God's plan about the salvation of His People is true. We are requested to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might. We need to wear the whole armor of God, that we might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (elemental spirits of the universe). For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Thursday, 10 September 2015
WE WERE CREATED, FORMED AND CALLED BY NAME INSIDE THE EARTH WOMB.
ENOCH (Initiated, dedicated), the son born to Jared (descent), a pre-Flood ancestor of Jesus Christ, fathered Enoch at the age of 162. The length of time that Enoch lived on earth match perfectly with the number of days in a solar year. Jared, his father, lived 962 years and was second in longevity only to his grandson Methuselah.
Enoch, being the seventh man in the genealogical line from Adam, was one of the "so great a cloud of witnesses" who were outstanding examples of faith during his time. "Enoch kept walking with the true God,"and was taken by God without facing death. He foretold God's coming with His holy myriad to execute judgment against the unholy.
The fact that Cain, the first son of Adam, built a city in the Land of Fugitiveness to the East of Eden, calling it by the name of his son Enoch, give us enough reason why God took his faithful prophet to act as a cloud of witnesses toward the true justice of the only true God, creator of heavens and earth.
Isaiah tells us in chapter 41 how God did what he declared in times of old: "Listen to me in silence, ... let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment... the ends of the earth tremble, they have drawn near and come. ... But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off."... "Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you," says the Lord, "Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel."
Chapter 42 "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed (symbol of the flesh) he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench (power in the flesh); he will faithful bring forth justice in the earth; ... Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it ... .
Chapter 43 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for i have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine..." ... "You are my witnesses," says the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses," says the Lord.
Enoch, being the seventh man in the genealogical line from Adam, was one of the "so great a cloud of witnesses" who were outstanding examples of faith during his time. "Enoch kept walking with the true God,"and was taken by God without facing death. He foretold God's coming with His holy myriad to execute judgment against the unholy.
The fact that Cain, the first son of Adam, built a city in the Land of Fugitiveness to the East of Eden, calling it by the name of his son Enoch, give us enough reason why God took his faithful prophet to act as a cloud of witnesses toward the true justice of the only true God, creator of heavens and earth.
Isaiah tells us in chapter 41 how God did what he declared in times of old: "Listen to me in silence, ... let the peoples renew their strength; let them approach, then let them speak; let us together draw near for judgment... the ends of the earth tremble, they have drawn near and come. ... But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off."... "Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you," says the Lord, "Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel."
Chapter 42 "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed (symbol of the flesh) he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench (power in the flesh); he will faithful bring forth justice in the earth; ... Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it ... .
Chapter 43 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for i have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine..." ... "You are my witnesses," says the Lord, "and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses," says the Lord.
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